Planning your running route could be important.

I now have 17 and 18 mile runs under my belt.  While they are difficult, I really feel a sense of accomplishment to just be able to run that far.  I am concerned at times about how I will ever be able to run 26.2 miles with my longest training run only being 20 miles, but I completely trust my program. 

For some reason, I have to make pit stops during my runs, especially morning runs.  I am really good with figuring out distances, and have tons of routes near my house figured out.  I set up routes where there are places to stop every 4-5 miles along my route.  For people who don’t have routes planned out, I wanted to provide you with two great website to plan your own routes.

http://www.plotaroute.com/

http://onthegomap.com

    

They are both easy websites to use and it is easily follow trails and roadways.  Both websites are free, which makes them even better.

I am in my 12th week of training for my first marathon.  It is a week where my plan steps back the mileage to let my body recover and prepare for my longest run of 20 miles next week.  My 12th week consists of:

Monday: 5 mile run

Tuesday: 5 mile run

Wednesday: 5 mile run

Thursday: Recovery/Rest

Friday: Recovery/Rest

Saturday: 8 mile run (at goal race pace)

Sunday: 13 mile run

Planning your route could be a lifesaver.  If you don’t have places to stop, you could always pack some baby wipes in a Ziploc bag and have it in your pocket just in case.  I guess my days in the Boy Scouts where they taught me to be prepared are showing though.  Have a great week!

Listen to your body!

I have been increasing my mileage with my marathon training in full swing.  Last weekend I ran 8 miles faster than my goal marathon pace and 17 miles the following day.  I would be lying if I said it didn’t take toll on me.  I stretched throughout the day after my long run.  I even went on an easy bike ride the following day to stretch out my legs.

I felt completely fatigued and had a pinched muscle on the top of my foot, near my ankle.  The fatigue lasted for 4 days.  I decided after my bike ride that I needed to just take a few days off to recover.  I wanted to make sure I was ready for the longer miles.  I had an 8 mile run yesterday followed by an 18 mile run today. 

On my 8 mile run I made sure to take it easy so I didn’t wear myself out for my run today.  The rest really helped.  I was able to keep a constant pace without stopping and really felt strong.  If I would have followed my plan, even though my body needed a rest, I would have probably injured myself and would not be able to do my long run this week. 

I am in my 11th week of training for my first marathon, which consists of:

Monday: Cycle 15 miles

Tuesday: Recovery/Rest

Wednesday: Recovery/Rest

Thursday: 8 mile run

Friday: 18 mile run

Saturday: Recovery/Rest

Sunday: Recovery/Rest

Sometimes you just need to check your ego at the door and take a break.  If you miss a training run (shorter runs are not as important as the longer ones) it won’t derail your training.  I will be going on vacation next week and plan on running while I am gone.  I used to try and run through injuries and now I see why they say that you need to listen to your body. 

Adidas Ultra Boost Review

Most people would think of sneakers or soccer apparel when they hear about Adidas.  Their motto is “we strive to help you perform at your best.”  Adidas employs over 50,000 people in 160 countries.  The Adidas Group also owns Reebok, TaylorMade, and CCM (Hockey).  Adidas was founded in Germany in August of 1949.

I have been trying to get in contact with Adidas for quite a while.  I read about the Ultra Boost before it even came out and was intrigued.  Adidas is not one of the big running companies so I wondered what people would think of it.  The response was almost all positive.  The biggest complaint was from people not wanting to pony up the $180 for a pair.  It is a lot of money for a pair of shoes, so I was curious to see if the Ultra Boost would be worth the money.

The first thing that I realized when I was putting the shoe on is that there is no tongue.  It is more like a bootie, which hugs your feet.  A bit of warning if you have wide feet though, it might compress your toes too much.  This won’t be a problem for most people, but I just want to put that out there.  The shoes upper material is what Adidas calls Primeknit.  It is made with various types of mesh and stretches with your foot.  It feels amazing and is breathable. 

The foam looks like white rice with tons of little foam bubbles.  I really like the feel of these shoes.  The foam feels like it provides extra energy with each step.  I got out on my first test run and forgot about my shoes altogether.  Most of the time, I think about my shoes (i.e. they feel loose, tight, too big, etc.) but with the Ultra Boost I just enjoyed my run. 

The STRETCHWEB outsole looks weird, but I felt like it had a great amount of grip.  The funny thing is that they were so grippy, they squeaked on tile surfaces for quite a while.  The foam and outsole combine to provide a great amount of flexibility.  With all of these lightweight materials, the Ultra Boost weighs in at a decent 10.6 ounces.

Pros:

Extremely comfortable, like a slipper

Looks awesome

Tons of grip

Very stable

Cons:

Price at $180 (but worth every penny)

Might be too narrow if you have wide feet

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I was surprised when I slipped on the Ultra Boost how good they felt.  While they are a little narrow and I did feel a little compression on my big toe, I think this would only be a concern for people with wide feet.  The question is, “Are they worth $180?”  I say, yes.  I felt like I did get a little boost of energy with every step.  I was able to comfortably keep up a great pace and I didn’t even think about having shoes on, which is a great thing.  Check out a pair of Ultra Boost at your local retailer today (click here for locations). 

Note:  I received this product in exchange for a review.  The review is my personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it.  I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.