Update

Sorry for not posting lately. I have busy with work and getting ready for college.

As for Congress Avenue Mile, we did break 5, but not technically. Unfortunately my roommate and myself stopped at a timing mat that was 30 meters before the actual finish, and walked/jogged for the full 30 meters before we realized we did not finish yet. We were on pace to run around 4:55 but walked it in for a 5:07. Overall it was a great experience and I and will one day do it again with training.

Congress Avenue Mile This Weekend

I will be racing up in Austin, Tx this Sunday in the Congress Avenue Mile. Its a one mile race down the Congress Avenue street in Austin. The best part is that its downhill so all the times are going to be really fast. I'm going to be aiming for 4:45 because I really haven't done any speed training. I will be running with my roommate and I will be pacing him to go sub 5 and hope he does it. I will keep you posted when I finish on Sunday.

A Cheap Alternative To Energy Gels

At $1 - $3 a package, Energy gels can get quite expensive when your a marathon runner or use them in your training runs. So why pay for what you can make yourself in bulk? I'll show you how.
All you will need is honey, molasses and salt.

14 and 2/3 Tablespoons of Honey
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of Molasses (Blackstrap if you can find it)
1/5 teaspoons of table salt

This will make the equivalent to about 10 gel packets and will be pretty thick (add water to thin out). Make sure to mix everything together, clumps of salt do not always taste the best. In this mixture the honey provides the good carbs and vitamins. The Molasses has tons of potassium in it and the salt of course provides the sodium. One of the best things about this mixture is that it doesn't have to be refrigerated and lasts about a full week this way. Keeping it cold will make it last much longer.

Want a recovery Gel with protein?

12 Tablespoons of Honey
1 and 1/4teaspoons of Blackstrap Molasses
12 and 3/4 teaspoons of Soy Protein Isolate
1/8 teaspoons of salt
3-6 Tablespoons of water (depends on how thick you want it)

This should be kept fresh and not too old because the protein can make it go bad quicker.

Now if you want more flavor you could add espresso, Hersey's chocolate syrup, possibly even jello mixes (haven't tried but could work). One tastier version is 1/2 parts honey to 1/2 parts chocolate syrup.

I would suggest buying a 5 oz plastic flask for gels at your local running store or here. It is very portable and easy to carry on a run or bike ride.

Now you can produce your own energy and save money!

Core Work

Having a strong core is crucial to having good form in running. Your core consists mainly of your abs and back muscles. A strong core allows you to keep your back straight when your tired instead of being hunched over. And besides having a sexy six pack, strong abs help you pick your body pick up your feet when your tired and will keep you in a slightly leaning forward position while running.



Some of the most familiar core exercises are sit-ups and crunches. These are great to do, but not always enough to get the full effect of a workout. Depending on where you are at in your level of fitness depends on how much you need to do of each exercise. I would consider myself as very fit because I have been doing core work for over 4 years and have increased to a large amount of exercises. My regular core work involves 60 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, 50 V-ups (lay on your back and bring your legs to your chest and your chest to your legs to where you make a V shape with your body), 20 push-ups, 30 Bench-press crunches (crunches where your hands are vertical to the ground and you push upward while doing the crunches), 30 crunches with my legs in the air, 15 push-ups, 20 large and small Switches (lay on your back and move your legs in a scissor-like motion), and a 1 min - 2 min Bridge (also called plank, where you are in a push-up like position, but your elbows are on the ground with your forearms supporting them. If you hold this position with good form you will feel your muscles straining to hold up your body). This takes me about 10 min to complete and I do this anywhere from 2 - 5 days a week and sometimes do diffrent variations.

For beginners I would start out with 20 Sit-ups, 5 push-ups, 10 V-ups, 5 push-ups, 20 regular crunches, 5 push-ups, and a 30 second bridge. Do this 3 times a week. I would not increase reps until you become comfortable (feels tired but not exhausted) at this amount. Once comfortable, slowly increase to where your body struggles and stay there till your body becomes comfortable then repeat the process.

If you find yourself in the middle between beginner and advanced, start with 35 Sit-up, 10 push-ups, 30 V-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 bench-press crunches, 15 cruches with legs in the air, 10 push-ups, 10 Switches, 45 second Bridge. Do this 3 - 4 days a week.

Very soon I will post a much more detailed explaination of the exercises with pictures so it will be easier to understand.

Shoe Of The Week 5/25

Asics Gel Speedstar 3

Type: lightweight Neutral

Price: $84


This lightweight shoe is great for multiple purposes. Its great for a lightweight trainer for speed or as a racing flat for a marathon. It can also be a great full time trainer if your efficient enough. The Speedstar uses the Asics Speva foam, which is very soft and light, and does not use any gel because it would weigh down the shoe. The shoe fits like most Asics shoes, tight like a sock, and hugs the foot. Its very durrable and capable of a full 400 miles if you are efficient, 300 if you pound on it. I love this shoe and think its a great bargin.

How To Deal With Plantar Fasciitis

According to wikipedia, Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory condition of the foot caused by excessive wear to the plantar fascia or plantar aponeurosis that supports the arches of the foot or by biomechanical faults that cause abnormal pronation.

What this basically means is that the ligament in your foot that runs under the arch has been strained or irritated. Because of this there will be a very sharp pain in the heel region and will feel like your arch is cramping. This pain is usually felt after waking up or after running and then the pain will lighten up. This is because the ligament is being pulled tightly when sleeping or during rest and putting weight on your feet will stretch this out and cause the pain.

How plantar is caused: excessive pronation, very high arches or flat feet, standing for long periods of time on a hard surface, running on a hard surface, being overweight, your calf muscles or Achilles tendons are very tight, or not being in proper shoes.

The best way to fix plantar is to keep the arch from becoming relaxed and allowing it to tighten up. The time when the arch relaxes the most is when you are asleep and this is the best time to stop it. If you have the ability, buy the strasburg sock. This is a knee high sock that has a strap that pulls the toes up towards the knee to keep the arch from relaxing and is meant to be worn while you sleep. You first start with the strap just tight enough to where your arch is not able to relax and then slowly tighten it after a few nights. Depending on the severity of the plantar, I have heard that it heals it completely in as soon as 3 days. Of course this is not every case, but the longest time that I have heard of would be a month. I have never heard of this sock not working for someone. A must buy if you want the pain gone immediately.

Other remedies include stretching the calf muscle, buying a pair of shoes with a stability post, freezing a water bottle and then rolling the arch over it for a few min a day, staying off of hard surfaces as much as possible, and give your feet some rest.

Running Socks; Thick or Thin?

First of all, If your not in a proper running sock then get some. Running socks are made out synthetic materials that will wick away sweat and moisture. This will keep the foot less bloated and less likely to blister. They also are designed to hold tight to the foot so that it will not slide around and bunch up. NEVER RUN IN COTTON

Thick or Thin?

When it comes down to it, thickness is really preference. I personally prefer a thinner sock that breaths well and keeps my feet dry. This is especially important to me in the Houston humidity.

For others, Thick is the way to go. A thicker sock will have much more cushioning and will keep the foot from feeling cold in winter months. If you also feel like your shoe is moving around too much it will also help with filling up some space. It is best to find a thick so that is very thin on the top, which will allow airflow and sweat to wick away.

Socks I Recommend

Smartwool - made out of New Zealand Sheep's wool which is tempered to allow it to breath. Unlike normal wool, Smartwool keeps your feet warm in the cold AND cool in the heat. Comes in think and thin versions. Great for running, camping, and hiking. MY FAVORITE SOCK.

Features - Great sock that is soft and very thin. Now comes in a thicker version as well.

Thorlo - VERY THICK. If you want a very thick sock for a lot of padding or something to keep your feet warm, there's nothing thicker than a Thorlo sock.

Injinji- A sock that has all the toes separated. Sounds weird but feels great. If you have a problem with your toes rubbing against each other then check out Injinji

Asics - Asics makes quite a few different types of socks, thick and thin, that are all great.