#Nuun Top 10 Watches

[nuunofficials]

You are contemplating purchasing watches on the web? Gathering wristwatches looks like setting out on a long-lasting experience. These are some requesting kinds of watches accessible at some top online watch shops. Read this article top as far as possible.

[365-money-diary]

DAYS 43-49

DAY FORTY-THREE

7:30 AM - Up a little early so I can close on my house. The process is pretty easy and I feel safe about it and such. We do it on the front porch with 6 foot folding table.

8:30 AM - I need to re-caulk the side door trim before I can start painting so I do that while I make my chemex. This is fun (not) because I don’t own a caulk gun. 

10:30 AM - Eat a plant yogurt

12:00 PM - Snack on chips and salsa – damn the salsa I made is so good this time. Also make salad for lunch. I’m set up in the kitchen today which is clearly a bad scene because I keep going to the pantry for more snacks. Relocate to the bedroom.

2:00 PM - I really should get my barre class out of the way today. I have a 4PM happy hour and I know I won’t want to work out after that, so I do a 10 minute low impact ride and then start class.

4:00 PM - I get done with most of the class and hop on zoom. Make refried beans in the instant pot for dinner while we chat.

5:00 PM - Finish the zoom and knock out the last 10 minutes of barre. I don’t like to split the classes up like that but oh well. 

6:00 PM - Finish making the beans as well as rice and jackfruit for burritos. K isn’t hungry so I watch an episode of The Challenge before making the burritos.

7:30 PM - Ok these are really good. Dang! I don’t want to drink tonight so I open a La Croix and try to hydrate.

DAY FORTY-THREE TOTAL: $0

DAY FORTY-FOUR

8:00 AM - I’m awake and I feel really good. K is still pretty conked out and I get the idea to go to Cartel. I haven’t been in a few months because cases were super high but now seems like a good opportunity. This is the one thing I do behind K’s back. It’s contactless and it’s super safe so I don’t really consider it to be a risk but I know he isn’t ready to drink things directly out of containers they’re served in on the same day you buy them so let’s just leave this between us. Buy a hot oat milk latte and tip $10. $17.57 

10:00 AM - Make a chemex so K doesn’t suspect anything. Hang with him on the couch for a bit and then start moving around the furniture in the kitchen to start taping.

11:30 AM - Take a break to cook breakfast - tofu/egg tacos with field roast sausage.

12:15 PM - Back to taping. It takes forev, but I think I did a good job.

3:45 PM - First coat done. Watch an episode of The challenge before I apply the second.

5:30 PM - Done with the second. Watch more of the challenge.

7:00 PM - Dinner tonight is pozole. I take my time making it and drink a glass of wine while I cook.

8:00 PM - Dang this is so delicious.

DAY FORTY-FOUR TOTAL: $17.57

DAY FORTY-FIVE

9:00 AM - Woah I am SO SORE. What the hell? My quads. Make a chemex and work on putting the kitchen back together, but I run out of time and have to meet with S and her BF on zoom. K joins me and it’s a really good time. 

11:15 PM - Ok back to tape removal. 

12:15 PM - Done! / Looks good! Make more tofu tacos for breakfast.

2:00 PM - My boss is applying for citizenship in the US and she asked me to help build her a website. I have totally spaced it over the past two weeks and get cracking on it today. Make some good progress and send her what I have.

4:00 PM - Watch some episodes of The Challenge. For whatever reason this feels like the first time I’ve actually relaxed this weekend and I am here for it.

6:00 PM - We drive to a bar I DJ at on the reg during non-pandemic times to do a pick up of their Valentine’s Day special. Neither K or I are big V Day fans and we feel like this is good enough to “celebrate.” We get two veggie dogs, fries and a bottle of wine to take home. J (my friend who owns the bar) runs my card for $31ish and I tip $20. K insists he pays and he venmos me $50. $1.89

7:00 PM - I haven’t had fries in like… a year. And these ones are really delicious! The wine is good too. Spend the rest of the evening catching up on my blog. I haven’t felt very motivated to work on it this month.

8:00 PM - Get a charge from Amazon… S is buying movies again. Make a venmo request for $16 and she fulfills it. $0.19

DAY FORTY-FIVE TOTAL: $2.08

DAY FORTY-SIX

8:30 AM - WOW I am still sore WTF. Make a chemex and notice my tea kettle has a rust spot. Damnit. At this point, I would rather just buy an electric kettle with a gooseneck spout to get rid of both of my kettles, but I’m trying to stick to my budget this month. I’ve been covering K’s groceries throughout the pandemic and he owes me around $2k at this point. Because of this, I’ve kind of cut back on clothing and other frivolous purchases until he starts to pay me back so I can still save money every month. But rust is rust and I don’t want to get sick. Buy a Stagg EKG kettle with a nice wood handle. $160.62

10:00 AM - plant yogurt, a clementine and Pure Barre weekly charge. $15

12:00 PM - It’s salad time but I’m kind of out of tempeh and am a little burnt out on the miso Asian vibe anyways. Toss together some greens, bell pepper, onion, carrots, snap peas, cucumber, and a frozen Quorn spicy chicken patty and top it with cashew ranch. It’s honestly really good. 

4:00 PM - Call M to wish him a happy bday. Tell him either next Sunday or the Sunday after that we will do a lunch thing together in his backyard to celebrate. Drink a nuun while we chat.

5:15 PM - I do a pure barre workout but make the mistake of doing it on my work computer at the post-workday slacks are coming in hot this AM. My body’s HR doesn’t really pick up but I still feel proud of myself for pushing thru the soreness.

7:00 PM - K and I eat big burritos for dinner with jackfruit, beans, rice, lettuce, tofutti sour cream, cheeze, and jalapenos with chips and salsa. They’re so good and I am sad that we’re out of tortilla chips and salsa now.

8:00 PM - Since dinner was kinda big and I had fries yesterday, I spend the evening hydrating instead of drinking wine. K and I watch a 4 part docuseries on Elisa Lam & the Cecil Hotel. At some point he goes off to work on some stuff and I wrap up this website I’m building for my boss who is working on getting her green card.

DAY FORTY-SIX TOTAL: $175.62

DAY FORTY-SEVEN

9:00 AM - Make a chemex. Finish the site and send it to my boss who approves. Hopefully I don’t have to actually post it for her. I hate dealing with hosting and such. 

10:00 AM - I don’t really want yogurt today and find a small portion of tofu scramble leftover from Sunday. Heat that up and top with truffle hot sauce.

12:00 PM - Kill the rest of the salad ingredients today by making the same dish as yesterday but with peas instead of red bell peppers. Review the site I made for my boss. She sends me a $100 amazon gift card! How sweet.

5:00 PM - Get sucked in a meeting and am not able to leave until 5:30. I’m not interested in exercising this late so I zone out on the couch for a bit and snack on some gf pretzels. Start a new season of The Challenge. Drink a glass of wine.

7:00 PM - Heat up leftover pozole for dinner. Eat with K while we “watch” a hockey game. 

8:30 PM - Pour another glass of wine and chat on the phone with Q. I end up feeling super antsy halfway through our conversation and decide to take a walk. I do a nice loop down to the lake and back to my house. Next time we decide that we will walk together.

10:30 PM - I check my phone after our conversation to see 100 slack messages from various team members. Looks like there is something going on which will affect the report I have to give tomorrow. Read thru, ask some questions and feel good about what I have to change.

DAY FORTY-SEVEN TOTAL: $0

DAY FORTY-EIGHT

8:15 AM - Up a little early today so I can adjust my report. Make a chemex while I pull numbers.

9:30 AM - Present the info. It’s good stuff! My boss is out of town so I think today should be pretty chill. Get a note from my bank that the wire of leftover funds from the mortgage stuff has been transferred to my checking totaling $1250.39. 

12:00 PM - Make broccoli fried rice for lunch. Things turn chaotic for the rest of the day and by the time I know it, it’s 4:00 PM

4:15 PM - Decide to cut out early today and take a live barre class. 20 minutes in (10 minutes before 5), I get a message from my teammate asking to hop on zoom. She has computer issues so I’m actually able to finish the class before she’s ready. 

7:00 PM - Finally done working. Rinse off and make pasta for dinner. Drink 3 glasses of wine. 

9:30 PM - K and I play Mario Kart for a while before turning in.

DAY FORTY-EIGHT TOTAL: $0

DAY FORTY-NINE

8:30 AM - Today has to be more chill than yesterday… It just has to be. Make a chemex. See that my hair dresser is selling shirts for her shop. Venmo her. $25

12:00 PM - Prep chicken seitan shreds. Broccoli fried rice for lunch with seltzer. 

1:30 PM - Finish making the seitan, eat an apple, gf pretzels and carrots. I realize I forgot to eat breakfast this AM. Ugh.

5:00 PM - My butt is super sore from yesterday but I do my barre workout anyways. It’s so nice to not be interrupted. My cal burn is low but I don’t even care. It’s just nice to move.

6:00 PM - Rinse off and prep dinner. We make buffalo chicken sandwiches with roasted potatoes. They turn out pretty good and I’m excited to eat them over the next few days.

8:00 PM - Drink a glass of wine. I google if I can have more since I’m getting the COVID vaccine tomorrow and it seems like one is ok but maybe not more so I decide against it.

DAY FORTY-NINE TOTAL: $25

[krnaturalphoto]

I woke up in the morning the day before the race and just could not get out of bed. I was so anxious. I couldn’t get out of bed and get the day underway. I just lay in bed thinking and trying to get a little more rest. There wasn’t anything much to be done. Finish packing the car and drop off our dogs at the kennel, then drive down to Pennsylvania to camp for the weekend and run a race. This was supposed to be a fun weekend. Then why was I so anxious in the morning?

I think that was exactly why I was so anxious. This was supposed to be a big weekend for me, a fun weekend camping trip with friends and running a race. Not just any race though. This was my goal race for the year. It was something new to me. I didn’t know what to expect for the weekend, so I tried to hide in bed I guess. Eventually I got myself up got packed and we got under way.

My wife and I arrived at camp the day before the race and had plenty of time to relax and unwind a little. Later that evening we met our friends at bib pick up for the race. Then we had dinner at a great local place, The Forksville General Store. The food was amazing. Just the thing you need the day before a big race. Then we went back to camp and spent the night hanging out by the fire and enjoying each other’s company. One by one we turned in to get some sleep before the race.

We all rose bright and early and headed over to the starting grounds for the race. We were there with plenty of time before the start of the race, which is fine and probably preferred by many, but for me standing around just waiting for something to happen makes me anxious. I prefer to be right on time and just start whatever it is I’m doing. So I was relieved when all the waiting and race director talking as over and the race started. The Worlds End 50k was under way. Finally my feet could start moving and my brain could stop.

I started the race out nice and easy as we ran down the road to get to where the trails started for this race. I was in no big hurry. I knew I’d be out here for plenty of time. When we got to the trails we started to climb. The first ascent is a pretty steep one. I am fine with going relatively slow up any climbs and that is really my strategy. Go slow up and conserve energy. But when there are spots that level out and there is room to run some I quickly got anxious and a little frustrated with the continued slow pace that was basically a walk. It shouldn’t have been a big deal. It was early on and I would have plenty of time to run, but I quickly found myself squeezing by people to pass o that I could go the pace that was comfortable for me. I didn’t want to go fast. I just wanted to go my own pace and I wanted space. I am sure some of the people I passed in the beginning because of my impatience passed me back later on.

After that came a nice descent. It is fairly steep but it is also fairly wide trail and open in many places. It was a great spot for me to be able to just open things up and run down the hill at whatever pace my legs would take me. When I have a nice open descent like that my preferred way to run them is to just go with gravity. I don’t necessarily try to run hard down the hill by pushing my legs fast but I try to allow my legs to move at whatever pace gravity is pulling me down the hill. When you are my size gravity does a lot of work and provides a good amount of momentum to propel you down the slope. It really doesn’t even seem like work. It’s more like just trying to coordinate your legs to keep up.

When you get to the bottom of that fast descent you start right back up the hill again. You climb right back up a mountain for about another mile. Then once you arrive at the top one of my favorite feature of this race was a nice relatively flat section at the top where I could just run whatever pace was comfortable for me. I didn’t have to push. I didn’t have to really fight with gravity. It was like a nice casual trail run compared to the first several miles. Then after a nice gradual descent there is another quick climb going into mile eight.

After mile eight there are several miles that are probably what I would call for this course most closely described as rolling hills would be on a road course except all the while you are navigating rocks, and roots, and plenty of mud. During this section you reach the second aid station, which is the first aide station that is crew accessible. There my wife awaits me with anything that I might need. Fortunately I still feel ok and don’t really need anything. I am plenty tired though despite it only being mile 10 of a 30+ mile run. I stop to eat some food at the aide station and talk to my wife for a little bit. My one remark was that “This is not Sehgahunda”, which is the race I ran two weeks prior and was my first ever trail marathon. That race was plenty challenging in its own right, but this was a whole new level. There I felt pretty good through 15 miles. Here I was tired by mile 10.

The next crew accessible aid station would not be until around mile 19. There was plenty of varied terrain to cover between mile 10 and 19 when I would be able to see my wife gain and I would stop and talk for a minute. From mile 11 to 19 I got to run just about every kind of terrain one could imagine. There were relatively flat sections. There were hills. And there were downhills. There were roots. There were rocks. There were boulders. There were plenty of wet areas as well. The water took many forms on this course: mud and muck, puddles, full on bogs and marshy areas, streams and even waterfalls. My favorite part of this section was the steep technical descent that takes you into the aide station at mile 19. We had previewed this section a few weeks before the race so I knew what was to come. But when we ran it then we had much fewer miles on our legs. I was not sure what I was going to be able to do after around 17 miles had already worn down my legs. My plan was to run down it as fast as I could. I was wearing my GoPro on its chest harness and I knew this was either going to be epic or an epic fail and either way I wanted video evidence of this experience. I paused for a second at the top of the section to start the video recording and then down I went. I ran down as fast as I could while maintaining control. I stepped from rock to rock. Over and around boulders. Dodging roots and outcroppings. Many of my strides were more like leaps from side to side over and around obstacles. Watching my footing and making sure to find safe purchase. I plummeted down the descent. One fellow runner heard my thundering strides down the slope and moved aside and called out to me “Good Luck” as I careened by. He sounded sarcastic but I took it in stride, said “Thanks” and flew by. I think he seemed dubious that I should be taking this approach to the downhill. I caught up to another fellow runner who had passed me a while ago and he quickly moved aside so I could bound past him as well. I loved that section because it was a true test not only of my stamina but of my ability on a difficult technical section and I gave it my all and went for it. It was a fun and exciting section of trail to run during a race that had plenty of sections that were grinding.

At the mile 19 aid station I stopped to change my socks to prevent blisters. I also refilled my water bladder and added two more Nuun hydration tablets for electrolytes. I also ate some food that was provided by the aid station. I took my time and rested some as I changed my socks and ate and drank. I talked with my wife for a minute and gave her a kiss and then I was on the move again.

The three miles from the aid station at mile 19 to the aid station at mile 22 were the most difficult miles of the entire race for me. It was three miles of virtually all vertical climbing. Climbing is what I am weakest at. I really felt the fatigue set in as I made this climb. More than two-thirds the way up I really started to lose my energy and my motivation. I was felt like the climb had defeated me mentally. I just felt like I had nothing left in the tank. I had two vanilla bean GU’s with me and I really was hoping not to use them but they had caffeine in them and I felt like I needed any energy boost I could get at the moment. I really did not enjoy eating that GU. I basically choked it down. But eating it accomplished the goal. It gave me enough energy to get to the aid station at the top of the climb. I was very happy to get to that aid station where I could once again see my wife and eat some real food. It definitely helped to boost my mood. I took my time at this aid station talking to my wife, gathering my strength, and getting my mind right for the rest of the journey. Initially I thought it as odd to have two crew accessible aide stations so close together, one at mile 19 and another one at mile 22, but I was very happy that it was planned that way after I went through it.

After mile 22 there was a good deal of varied terrain. There were downhill sections and uphill sections, but nothing too long or too steep in either direction. There was a combination of all the things that made this course great. Single track trails, trees, rocks, roots, mud, and water. To be perfectly honest after running for such a long time on such a tough course at this point everything kind of blurs together in the aftermath trying to remember it. All I know is that in the moment I was enjoying being out in the woods. I went over 8 hours without touching my cell phone. When was the last time I did that when I wasn’t asleep? This is what trail running is about. Getting out in nature and connecting with it. Enjoying the connection our body makes with nature as you traverse the course.

Finally I arrived at the final aid station. I wasn’t hungry so I didn’t eat any actual food, but I knew it still could be an hour before I finished so I did have some tailwind to top off my fuel for the finish. As I rested for a minute one of the many friendly volunteers at the aide station jokingly asked “What are you still doing here?” I said “I’m enjoying all the hard work you all have put into this aide station.” And he responded “Then you should have a beer.” I normally don’t drink beer at a race. I actually don’t know if I have ever had a beer at a race. So I stopped and considered for a second. Then I agreed. I should have a beer. I am almost done. What harm could it do at this point? I will almost certainly finish. I am here to enjoy myself and have fun. So I did have half a beer at the aide station before I left. Maybe it was just what I needed to get me to the finish.

After leaving the final aid station there is a long relatively flat section that looks like an old logging road or something. It is probably the most open and flat section of the whole course. I was so tired at that point. I could not keep up a steady pace to run, so I adopted a run walk strategy. Just pushing myself to run at all was a sheer force of will at that point so; I ran for as long as I could then I would walk some to recover and then pick up the run again and repeat over and over.

As I ran through this flatter section of trail I began to think. I thought about all the long hard hours of training I put into this. I thought about all the commitment and determination it took to arrive exactly at this point. I started to think about how this was the culmination of everything I have worked towards for the past six months. I began to get a little emotional as I ran along thinking all the deep thoughts one does when they finally realize that they are about to accomplish a huge goal that they have fully committed to. I felt the full weight of what this experience meant to me. It was fun and it was exciting and it was something I really wanted and I set my heart to it and I got it done. When I say I set my heart to it that is what I truly mean it took my heart and my will in order to get to this point. It is an achievement of a physical accomplishment, but it is not one you come to if your heart isn’t in it and if you don’t have the will to put in the work.

I knew from the course map and elevation profile that I would eventually come to a steep decent before getting to the finish. I was a little concerned about how that part would go for me. I usually like to go as fast as I can on downhills. I feel like it’s the best strategy for me for many reasons. But when I got to this particular decent I was spent. There was no way I could run down this. This was no strait open flat hill. This was a steep twisty turvy and rocky vertical decent. If I tried to go fast my legs would crumble underneath the pressure of my momentum building up. I decided my best course of action was to pick my way down through the rocks, going as fast as I could but far from a run. Going slow down a step decent was no picnic. My toes were smashed in the front of my shoes, but I finally made it down. I felt like I literally dragged myself for that last little bit to get to the finish line. I felt like I was barely moving as I crossed the finish line and I think the video my wife recorded of my finish verifies that fact.

I crossed the line and hugged my wife. I was finally done. I see my friends who were there, cheering. It was a great feeling.

Afterwards I was starving. The food was great. There was plenty of it and it tasted good. The beer was also the perfect thing after finishing a long race like that. It was a great post race experience to sit around and talk with your friends and cheer on runners you didn’t know as well as our other friends who finished. I told my friends I would do this race again just for the food.

I have run a fair amount of trails in our area and I have been out hiking even more trails and this area definitely ranks right up there as one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. I loved all the scenery. It was amazing. I ran the race with two GoPro cameras to try to capture some of the experience. I had one GoPro on a chest harness and another GoPro that could be hand-held. I could have just stood and taken photographs forever. Every twist and turn revealed something new and unexpected. I would take a video or some photos of a section and then turn my GoPro off and then around the next bend would be another section just as beautiful and I would think I should turn my camera back on. If I did that I would probably still be there taking photographs. When we came for a preview run of some of the course I told my friends that if I don’t finish it’s because I am still out on the course taking pictures. It is that beautiful.

If you are a nature lover like I am you need to get yourself out to the Worlds End State Park area in Pennsylvania. This area has just about everything one could ask for in nature scenery. You can hike up a trail to a scenic overlook and look out over the valley and across to another mountain that you can also hike up and be at the location you were just looking at from across the valley. There are endless scenic forest lands to wander through with all types of majestic trees. Throughout the entire landscape there are scattered rocks and outcroppings ranging from pebbles to giant boulders that you need to be on all fours to climb over. There are also many streams flowing through the woods and down the mountains. These streams create countless waterfalls that are just truly mesmerizing as they cross the green scape. There are sections of trail where you will cross the streams and waterfalls and you can get a real up close and personal look at them. There are so many I could not imagine how long it would take me to photograph them all, but I might go back and try some day. At the top of one mountain there is even a lake. Like really on top of all that amazing nature you get to run up to a mountain top lake. I’m telling you there is no shortage of beautiful sites in this area. The race course also has multiple sections where you run along a body of water that I am not sure if it is officially a creek or a river but it is big enough that you can dive right in and swim if you want. I know because I’ve done it.

How can you beat all this? I experienced all this amazing nature all in one day. This is the type of adventure that might take weeks to experience on a normal trip. But thanks to the gift of running and how fortunate I am to be able to do the things that I do I got to do all this in a bit over eight hours. Not weeks. I saw all those sights in a third of a day. I love how much running has added to my ability to explore nature and enjoy the other things that make life worth living and that is really why I love running.

It is just a unique experience to be out in that type of landscape. World’s End is such a varied place of unique treasures with something new around every turn. I don’t know if I will ever top this experience.

I know these photos don’t do the scenery I have described justice, so I will try to link to some photos taken by others at the event. Check out these photos by Brian: Worlds End Photos. There are also these photos from Rusty: Worlds End Photos.

  DCIM143GOPRO

DCIM144GOPRO

DCIM108GOPROG0044784.JPG

DCIM144GOPRO

I Became An Ultra Marathoner I woke up in the morning the day before the race and just could not get out of bed.

[findusonweb-blog]

About Us Love Running is an independent, unique, specialist running shop owned and run by us; Simon and Jo. We are a husband and wife team who are – ourselves – enthusiastic runners. We have been running for health and pleasure for over a decade, and we opened Love Running in 2011 as there had been no dedicated running shop on the Isle of Wight for a long time, and no-where to go locally for shoes, advice, gait analysis and information. Trips to the mainland for running shoes was proving expensive, whilst our enthusiasm for running increased, and so the seed of “Love Running” germinated and finally became reality! As runners for more than a decade, we are always happy to offer the benefit of our own advice, enthusiasm and experience in-store! Our on-site VIDEO GAIT ANALYSIS SERVICE helps to ensure that you get the right running shoes for your feet, as we believe passionately that the key to safe and efficient running is the right footwear. With Simon’s diploma in Sports Physiology, Jo’s previous shoe & shop retail experience, and our joint passion for running, we pledge you the best in customer service, a solid understanding of our running shoe range and a top range of genuine, running-orientated products. Please pop in for a chat, for training tips and advice, video gait analysis, replacement shoes or to talk about future races. Entry forms for local races are often available in-store, together with information about local clubs or groups. We offer our company on a short weekly run we organise for novice or beginner runners, and we are also enthusiastic supporters of the weekly parkrun, and can tell you how you can get involved too. Non-runners, pensioners and people with mobility problems are also welcome, as many of our shoes are also ideal for comfortable walking. If you want a lightweight but stable, supportive, well-cushioned shoe – something to provide comfort and support to old, sore, troublesome or just overworked feet – come and speak to us.  Try them and you’ll see what we mean! If you love running, or just need a comfortable pair of shoes, we look forward to meeting you!

From the Heart – Our Environmental Statement We are both vegans, and have ensured that all our products are suitable for vegetarians. Our chosen energy and nutrition products are almost ALL suitable for vegans too (those containing calcium lactate or magnesium lactate are from a non-dairy source), and we also stock sugar-free and gluten-free products. Some of our brands bear the “approved by the Vegetarian Society” label too (look out for High 5 and Battleoats – amazing products!).

Mission Statement Here at Love Running we have 2 objectives; the first is to encourage people to THINK about running, and the effect it has on the body, and to see how important it is to have the right sort of shoe, and the right fitting shoe. So many problems (from blisters to shin-splints) could be reduced – or even avoided – through correctly chosen shoes, and we owe it to our feet and legs to protect them as much as possible if we are going to put them through the rigours and shock of running. Road running in particular is a maximum impact sport and should not be undertaken thoughtlessly. 1- Provenance Most of our suppliers do not allow their retailers to undercut a current RRP by that much, and therefore you should wonder just how genuine the product you are looking at may be, or if it is – indeed – an authorised UK model being sold by an authorised retailer. 2 –Age Check the age of the shoe you are looking at. Some popular models (the Asics “Kayano” & “Nimbus” and the Brooks “Adrenaline GTS” for example) have been in existence for well nearly 20 years, and each model is updated or altered once a year; hence the number after the name on the shoe (ie: “Kayano 17” and “GTS 18”). Many things deteriorate after time, particularly foam-based soles and gel cushioning, and shoes don’t even have to be worn to deteriorate. In running shoes, the foam/latex cushioning can become brittle, firm and less effective at absorbing shock over time, meaning that if you purchase a shoe that has been out of production for several years (even if it is unworn) it can already have lost shock-absorption, and have potentially damaging effects on your limbs and joints. 3 – Type Is it a neutral or supportive shoe, and is it compatible with your gait? Only a trained running-shoe specialist can advise you in such matters, and you will not get this support on the internet! 4 –Customer Service What will you do if the shoe falls apart after a month, causes problems with your running, does not suit your running gait or doesn’t fit properly? For great one-to-one service, experienced shoe fitting and free advice, please support your local running shop and save the Internet for frivolities!

Environmental Statement The following is Love Running’s own Environmental Statement, as decided by us (the owners) and influenced by the Chamber of Commerce “Green Impact” scheme and environmental groups such as “Surfers Against Sewage” (IOW branch) and Friends of the Earth. Firstly, we are both vegan and therefore strive to ensure that ALL our products are cruelty-free, animal-free, environmentally-friendly and sustainable where possible. Whilst technical running fibres are largely synthetic and therefore difficult to label as “environmentally-friendly”, we do endeavour to source from reliable, fairly-traded and fairly-made companies, and advise customers to wash and care for their garments in an environmentally-friendly way (ie: washing on 30 degrees and NOT using harsh chemicals or fabric conditioners). We do not stock products that contain leather, suede, silk or wool. Love Running Tuesday Nighters Over the years we have discovered that there are many runners who do not have the confidence (yet!) to join a “proper running Club”, but would love the opportunity to do a regular run with other like-minded people in a relaxed and friendly environment. There are also a lot of people who would like to start jogging/running but do not know where to start, or don’t want to run on their own.

Products/Services SHOES We stock a wide variety of road running cushioned shoes, support shoes, racers, natural running shoes, trail shoes and track/cross-country spikes from all the suppliers below. We carry many neutral and supportive shoes, so there should be something to suit everyone. However, if you specifically want a model that we don’t usually stock, as long as it is made by one of our suppliers (and currently available in the UK) we can get it for you. We also have some shoes from previous seasons at reduced prices! Sizes range from UK 3-10 for ladies and 6-14 for men, with half sizes in between and larger width options in some models.

CLOTHING We have lots of RUNNING APPAREL to cope with the best and worst of the British weather! Our main clothing suppliers are Ronhill and Pure Lime. We have a wide range of HILLY, 1000 Mile and Mizuno running SOCKS in all different styles and thicknesses. We also stock Wackysox – coolmax sports socks in fun designs! We stock More Mile sports underwear  for men, and Pure Lime andMoving Comfort sports bras and underwear for ladies.  We keep hats, caps, visors, gloves, sleeves, compression socks and calf guards, ear-warmers, headbands and sweat-bands available all year round. ACCESSORIES We have a large range of RUNNING ACCESSORIES including:- Shoe-laces, elastic laces, water bottles (in many styles and sizes), bottle & gel holders, race number holders, armpockets, waist-bags, wrist wallets, phone holders, backpacks, hydration packs, water bladders, knee supports & bands, ankle supports & straps, ITBstraps, reflective vests, headlamps, Power Lung, Polar heart-rate monitors, TOM TOM GPS watches, stop-watches, sports watches,spikes (and spike tools) for track & XC shoes, shoe pockets, iPod sensor pockets, Bodyglide anti-chafe balm, Kinesiology tape, shock-absorber heel pads, Sorbothane insoles (Cush’n’Step, Double-Strike and Sorbo Pros), Jabra running headphones, Ronhill and Ultimate Performance LED attachments and Dynamint muscle rub.

GPS WATCHES Our main GPS Watch suppliers as of 2017 are TomTom and Polar, and models held include:- TomTom Runner3/Spark, Runner3 Cardio and Runner3 Music (plus headphones)

SUNGLASSES We are the Island’s only stockist of ASPEX sunglasses. Varieties include fixed-lens models, interchangeable lens models (with up to 3 extra pairs of lenses in different shades), polarised models (fixed and interchangeable), photochromatic models and even some with glazeable optical inserts!

NUTRITION We stock a wide range of SIS (Science in Sport) energy products, including:-Energy gels, electrolytes, energy formula, Go-bars and “Rego” rapid recovery formula. All the lines we carry are suitable for vegetarians (and many are vegan friendly too). We are also suppliers of NUUN and HIGH 5 hydration tablets, and currently stock 7 exciting flavours, and the tablets contain 4 essential electrolytes vital to the healthy function of cells and muscles, with no added colourants, carbs, sugars or sweeteners. All are suitable for vegetarians and vegans

[gogohedgehoglegs]

Newport Half Marathon

Newport Half Marathon, April 14, 2018

its funny, I joked about today was one of the first times ive made an adult decision....last year I had to downgrade from full to half because of a sinus infection, this year I had actually signed up for the half ahead of time, so that it would be a buildup to Rhinebeck. Normally if I'm making the drive to Rhode Island, I opt for the full, since I'm driving the 1:40 to get there.

So all is well leading up to the race, training is going well(eating more donuts than I should though, lol), and the drive to head over there is no exception.  While CT is normally pretty stinky for traffic, at 5am, its not so bad.  I usually plan to get there pretty early- we actually shuttle to the start area, so I build in even more time than my Type A personality normally dictates.  Hop on the bus, and I'm over to the start area by 645a.  Turns out it was a good thing I was early this year- they changed the bib pickup process, and it significantly increased the time it all should have taken.

Last year, they had separate lines for the 3 races, and HM people were grumbling they had to wait when there wasnt a line at the Full. So this year was just one long line.  Great in theory, except the races have 3 different start times(to ease congestion on course), and then the volunteers were tripping over each other finding bibs(because you weren't walking up to a line that was designated by race and letter of last name), and then they were having to pull the marathoners waiting in line to the front so they could get them their bibs so they could start on time. Then after getting my bib, then there was another line to wait to drop your bag in the gear check.  Then there were long lines for the portalets.  Honestly, its a good thing it wasn't my first time there, cause if i thought that was usual, i probably wouldn't run the race again. So between waiting in the bib line, the bag check line, and then the portalet line, i was stepping out of the portalet at 744. Literally. Ran around the barriers(which were protecting the sand dunes, which is actually the catalyst for why this race is even run in the spring and not the fall anymore...), wiggled my way up in the starting area(yay for being short and able to duck under everyones arms...), and got myself up far enough that I wouldn't have to do as much dodging, and then off we went!

But honestly? All is forgiven.  This course is among the best, I can't forsee missing it.  And this company is awesome about listening to feedback, I have no doubt that what happened yesterday won't happen again, they will make sure its fixed. When I reached out they acknowledged that a lot of issues were how many people are showing up at the very last minute- and when you have 500 arrive in the half hour before start, there's just no way that's going to go well.  They can't control other people not recognizing the need to show up with time to do what needs to be done.

Thankfully, the hardest hill on the whole course is in the first mile.  Terribly, the hardest hill on the whole course is in the first mile.  This course is by no means flat, but this is actually my favorite type, I find rolling hills much easier than ones that are flat flat flat.  So we leave Easton's Beach in our dust, head past whats the start of the Cliff Walk, head out along Narragansett Ave, and by mile 2, we get our first glimpse of the bay as we run along Wellington Ave.  its been downhill and flat since cresting the first hill, and there's a light wind that's keeping things cool, which is nice, because the sun is seriously about being sunny today.  While 52ish degrees seems like nothing, when breaking 30 has been a warm day of late, this is a bit of a shock.  Its actually the first day ive run outside in anything less than short sleeves since sometime back in October, soooooooooooo.....

We take a short detour away from the ocean, but past some pretty houses, and up some rolling hills through here, as we make our way first through Fort Adams State Park, which is a little lollipop that I always think of as the “yacht club,” as there is one located in here, so its just how I always remember it.  Its here that I start passing some of the marathoners, who started about 15 minutes ahead of us.  I pass a woman wearing a Skirt with the Mantra print- I didn't get a good look at it, but it looked as though the whole skirt was covered in that print, which I couldn't remember there being, so I couldn't resist telling her how much I liked it.

After this loop, we head a little more inland for the next couple miles- past some big houses, a couple farms, and lots of quiet roads.  While the roads aren't closed to traffic, its never a problem, and I'm never nervous about the situation.  Right after Mile 5 I pass the 5hr pacer for the marathon, looking nice and strong.  Just another few tenths, and you can start to smell the ocean- a precursor to the my favorite part of the course, the run along Ocean Drive, which we turn onto soon enough.  The sun has continued to stay strong promising that spring is coming(LIAR!!!), and I realize I never put suntan lotion on...silly me!  I'm not used to actually seeing the sun anymore, not after the winter we have had.  The breeze along here is just glorious, its light, its sideways, and not having an impact. The firs aide station to have Nuun is here, although the poor volunteers are still saying its Gatorade, but if you read the athletes guide, you know differently. I'm always excited when Nuun is on course, I've loved the brand for years, and actually became a Nuunbassador this year.

Along Ocean Drive, we meander through Brenton Point State Park, and I note how much the surf is up this year.  I kinda wish I had my camera, but I'm not usually a fan of stopping to take pics while I'm running, mostly cause I usually forget to restart my watch, and that makes me nuts, lol.  Around 6.5, we pass what I always think of as Rhode Island Stonehenge.  I'm sure it has some sort of significance, but having never had the opportunity to come to this spot, ive never figured out what it really is.  Around mile 8 we hit what is considered the Historic District, and the tops of some of the famous mansions become visible from here.  So we've got mansions on one side, and beaches on the other(clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right?), and just a little before Mile 10, we take the turn onto Bellevue Ave.  From this direction, first is Marble House(a home owned by the Vanderbilts), followed by Rosecliff, then we make the right onto Ruggles Ave, which cuts us over to Ocher Point Ave, where the famous Breakers(another Vanderbilt mansion) is located.  Since we are on the roadside, you are peeking over the big walls at it, but its still really cool to be able to run past.  

We run from the mansions past Salve Regina university, and all I can think is how cool it must be to go to college so close to all this history.  After this, we do a zig and a zag to take us back along Memorial Blvd, and down that big hill we traversed 12 miles ago. I've slowed down over the last couple miles, and its funny to think the heat got me at 52, but I did.  I could feel worse, this type of slowing is just the natural preservation your body does, whether you like it or not.  The hardest part of this hill is how far you can see- you actually can see the finish line from here, but its oh so far away.  It makes the last mile seem a little long, but its all good!  Make the final turn into Easton's Beach, and then along the ocean side of the buildings we run to the finish!

My goal for today was to just run this race and feel strong- im focusing on improving my ability to run by feel, and get some of my speed back- and then build upon that for Hartford in the fall, so that i can get a BQ i can use for Boston in 2020.

And as a side note- I did reach out to the race organizers about some of the issues that happened, and they were fast to respond, and open to feedback about what I had seen work better at other races.  And THAT is why I will continue to support them, because they want to make this an awesome experience, every time that you step foot on one of their courses.

Final stats

1:45:23 (fastest HM since March of 2016!!!!!)

146/1121 overall   46/740 women   11/191 F 30-39(5th if it had been a 5 year AG)

[meetmeonthecourse]

Podcast Stunna

I found Eric Schwartz’s podcast while looking for tips, tricks, and suggestions for race day, equipment, training and nutrition. He interviews pro’s, ex-pro’s, amateurs, and those who work in the fitness/nutrition field. He explains “There is a genetic component to multisport success, and there’s an intelligence component.  Your parents determined your genetic component but you determine your intelligence component.  This podcast was created to help you with the intelligence part”

I reached out to him for some questions and feedback on my training. Consequently, he asked if I’d be open to do an interview and that he was looking to create something that would be useful for others in my situation preparing for a 1/2 IM. I sent him my list of questions and we walked through them on the podcast. Tonight, he sent me an email letting me know it was up. I haven’t listened to it yet, but for those of you who may want to--feel free to tune in here http://triathletetraining.com/ Below are my questions that I asked him and the information I sent him, if you’d like to read along. 

Work Out Today

Bike 50 miles moderate + 10-minute transition run at race pace

Nutrition

Pre-ride Vega Bar

Ride nutrition- 3 Gu gels, 2 32oz water bottles w/ 1 tablet of nuun each (360mg sodium)

Breakfast- Paleo banana pancakes: 2 eggs, 1 banana mashed, cinnamon, topped with almond butter. (1) cup of coffee

Lunch- quinoa, chicken, peppers, spinach bowl 

Snack- 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 piece of ezekiel bread, two fresh tomatoes courtesy of Dr. Kessler

Dinner- 5oz chicken w/baked zucchini, tomatoes, some potato & (1) cinnamon tea w/ almond milk

PODCAST INFO/QUESTIONS

Race: Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City Date: 9/17Link:

http://delmosports.com/events/ironman-703-atlantic-city

HISTORY/ OVERVIEW

Current Training Schedule: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12LFdPG-7QfV96GCbEVceGMLa-K4kPEHYKIzsBO4EbJk/edit#gid=957907399

Training Plan came from here: http://www.triathlete.com/2010/09/training/super-simple-ironman-70-3-triathlon-training-plan_12364

Started training May 22nd

Farthest workout thus far: 56 miles biking and 3 miles running (this past Sunday) 

Injury: Plantar Fasciitis in my right foot since Feb, developing patellar tendonosis in my left knee recently

PT since April once a week

QUESTIONS

What the right amount of nutrition, water, and sodium for each leg?

Thoughts on salt tablets?

Wetsuits- I'm a strong swimmer, do you think I need a wetsuit? Sometimes I feel like it holds me back but the buoyancy definitely helps so I'm torn on this subject.

When do most people hit their "wall."

I don't bike with groups usually. Any tips for riding with others?

This will be the first time I'm using sunblock. Is this important to watch?

Hat/no hat?

Any transition tips? Is it similar to Sprint and Olympic transitions?  

I don't have a watch or bike meter. Thinking of getting Garmin 735xt. Is it worth it at this point?

Currently training on a 58 frame bike but should be on a 54. I will be on a 54 race day. Is it worth buying a bike?  

Do you recommend getting massages regularly or how close to race can can I get massages?

How important is strength training. I try to do it once a week (PT 3 times a week) but it's hard to fit in with all the training

With my injury, I may not get up to 13.2 during training. Any tips for the run/my pace/etc?

Any tips on post-race to eat/do post-race to maximize my recovery?

What should I do after this?!

CURRENT RACE NUTRITION PLAN

Eat Vega Protein Bar, Banana, maybe some almond butter upon waking. Cup of coffee & water with Vega energizer

TBD may eat another bar and drink water with 1 nuun tablet

Swim-none

Water at transition

Bike: 5-6 gels (probably Stinger. Cliff will be on the race), carrying 2 32oz water bottles with 1 nuun tablet in each. Will need to take water provided on the ride

Run: 1-2 gels w/ water

RACE HISTORY

Jersey Girl Triathlon August 2016 (NJ)

o    Distance .1704 mile swim | 11 mile bike | 3 mile run

o    Finished 2nd overall

o    Results 1:09:09 final time (splits not avail)

Born to Tri August 2016 (NJ)

o    Distance .25 mile swim (I think) | 26 mile bike (I think) |

o    Results: 06:23 swim | 49:48 bike | 23:27 run | 1:21:46 finish

o    Finshed 1st in age group

Equinox Triathlon March 2016 (NY)

o    Distance 500m Swim | 10.1 mile bike | 3.4 mile run

o    Results: 0:08:13 | 0:23:00 | 0:22:59 - 0:54:12

o    Invited out to Malbiu Triathlon as a result

Nautica Malibu Triathlon September 2016 (CA)

o    Distance .5 mile swim | 18 mile bike | 4 mile run

o    Results: 12:32 swim | 59:37 bike | 31:43 run

o    Finished 4 out of 118 in my age group and 27/538 females (271/1577 overall)

United Airlines NYC Half 2015

o    1:43:15 (7:53 pace)

NYC Marathon 2014

o    4:03: 27 (9:18 pace)

Brooklyn Half 2014

o    1:49:27 (8:21 pace)

First Triathlon: Wyckoff Franklin Lakes 2014 (NJ)

o    Distance: .5 mile swim | 17 mile Bike |5 mile run

o     Swim   Pace SwPlc  T1   T1Plc   Bike  MPH BkPlc   T2   T2Plc   RunPace RnPlc Finish

o    16:06     1:50  130   | 2:54  269 |  58:07 17.6  319 | 2:36  389 |  40:14  8:03  177 |1:59:57

[nuunofficials]

If you are in search of some outdoor watches? Before that, you need to know some features to look for. Click this link, Here we depict some special points for outdoor watches.