Official Signing To DBU

Today I Signed to Run for Dallas Baptist University Officially. I look forward to running cross country and track and field there. I will keep all my training information and racing progress on my Running Log. Check back and see how I'm doing

Shoe Of The Week 5/18

Mizuno Wave Alchemy

Type: Motion Control

Price: $99

This weeks shoes of the week is the Mizuno Wave Alchemy. It is considered to be in the Motion Control group of Stability shoes. It is extremely lightweight for being a motion control shoe. Unlike other brands that use a different foam material to provide support under the arch than the material that is used for cushion, Mizuno builds up the same type of foam under the arch and compacts it together. This allows the shoe to be much lighter because it does not have a "stability post" in the shoe.

This shoe is perfect for the lighter runner that needs a lot of support. This will help keep the arch from falling and will push the ankle up in a straightened position. This shoe is very durable, and able to take a beating from the road. It is also a steal at $99 for a motion control shoe, most of which are average $120. This is why it is Shoe of the Week 5/18

Garmin Running Watches

The Garmin running watch series are a savior to the casual to professional runner. The Garmin Forerunner 205, 305, and 405 will tell you your pace, exact distance, time, best pace, average pace, heart rate (305 and 405), elevation, direction traveled, and even sunrise and sunset. You can use it for cycling as well with features like cadence and rpms (with added equipment). The best part about Garmins is that they come with a computer program that will track your progress with graphs and maps. Out of town on a business trip or on vacation? Then you can log on to the Garmin website that will track your stats and progress when you allow it to. This way keeping a running log is easier than ever, and more high tech. One issue that some people have with these watches is that they are slightly bulky. They do take up a bit of wristroom. For most people, this issue goes away after a few runs when you become used to having it. In my own opinion its worth it for all the information. I love being able to look down at my watch and at anytime be able to tell what pace I'm running at, how far I've run, or anything else. One other issue that is made unclear is that the watches are designed for multi-sport meaning running, biking, and swiming. The issue is that the watches are not water proof, just water resistant. Garmin only recomends that the watches never go deeper than 3 feet in water. This is kinda of an iffy statement for a $200 + watch. I personaly just wouldn't wear it in water to get avoid the issue. As far as running though, I have never had any problems with the Garmin Watches.

I rate this watch as a MUST HAVE for the running guru or anyone who wants to know everything about their own training.

The starting prices of these watches are $215 (205), $300 (305), and $350(405). This is about the price you will have to pay if you want to buy them in a store. I found a few places on Amazon that sold brand new ones for almost half of the price and this is how I bought my own. I would suggest Amazon.com if you want to save a bit of money.

5 Weeks To A 5K For Intermediates

If your a moderately experienced runner and want to start competing and try dipping your feet into the 5K race, then this is a good guideline training plan for you. To be able to do this correctly, you have to be able to run 5 miles comfortably. If you are yet there just work on slowly building your endurance by increasing your mileage no more than 10% per week and you will be at this level in no time.

This plan (by Chris Carmichael) will involve easy mileage, strides, core workouts, and Steady State runs.

Easy Mileage is running at about 60% intensity.

Strides are about 100 - 150 yards long or about (20 seconds). These are meant to be done hard and just a notch lower than a sprint. It is best to do these on a school track or football or soccer field.

Core Workouts involve strengthening your core muscles (i.e. abdominal region, lower back, etc.) For these work on push ups, sit ups, crunches and anything else you find helpful. Having a strong core is mandatory to become a faster runner.

Steady State Runs (SS) are intervals or runs at 70 - 80%. It is crucial that you take a 5 minute rest by jogging easy before starting the next interval.

Couch Potato to 5K

Just started running and not sure where to start? Well I'm hear to help. As a beginner you will find that getting into shape for distance running is the hardest part of running. This time period of about 2 -3 weeks will be hard because your body is not accustomed to the new stress that you are putting on your body (i.e. your body landing on concrete, the muscle fatigue, etc). In this time you might experience shin splints, knee pain, muscle soreness, and other minor pains. These will disappear once your body starts getting accustomed to the new level of stress (If you are still feeling pain or if you feel you have an injury, you should check out your shoes and see if they are proper running shoes, and if they are the right kind for you). After this you will find your training to be much easier and more enjoyable.

Here is an 8 week running plan that will get you from walking to running 2 miles comfortably. I will be basing this off a running plan by Amby Burfoot. Her plan has been proved to lose or maintain weight, and improve cholesterol, blood pressure, and insulin response. Make sure you follow this schedule how it is. If you miss a day or change up the training it can affect you negatively. Also do not push harder or longer than you are supposed to, this can exhaust your body for the following days. Make sure to schedule a time in the day to complete the exercise. If you don't have a time set out to do the exercise, it is very easy to come up with excuses about how you will do it later in the day. Usually this ends up with you not having enough time in the day to exercise and putting it off for the next day. I defiantly recommend trying to keep a log of your training. This will show you how you have improved and is a big motivator. Stick to the plan, find some motivation, and have fun getting into shape.

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Run & Walk Run 1 min Walk 2 min Repeat 10X	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 1 min Walk 2 min Repeat 10X	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 1 min Walk 2 min Repeat 10X	Run & Walk Run 1 min Walk 2 min Repeat 10X	Rest

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
2	Run & Walk Run 2 min Walk 1 min Repeat 10X	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 3 min Walk 1 min Repeat 7X Run 2 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 4 min Walk 1 min Repeat 6X	Run & Walk Run 4 min Walk 1 min Repeat 6X	Rest

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
3	Run & Walk Run 5 min Walk 1 min Repeat 5X	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 5 min Walk 1 min Repeat 5X	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run6 min Walk 1 min Repeat 4X Run 2 min	Run & Walk Run 6 min Walk 1 min Repeat 4X Run 2 min	Rest

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
4	Run & Walk Run 8 min Walk 1 min Repeat 3X Run 3 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 9 min Walk 1 min Repeat 3X	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 10 min Walk 1 min Repeat 2X Run 8 min	Run & Walk Run 11 min Walk 1 min Repeat 2X Run 6 min	Rest

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
5	Run & Walk Run 12 min Walk 1 min Repeat 2X Run 4 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 13 min Walk 1 min Repeat 2X Run 2 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 14 min Walk 1 min Repeat 2X	Run & Walk Run 15 min Walk 1 min Run 14 min	Rest

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
6	Run & Walk Run 16 min Walk 1 min Run 13 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 17 min Walk 1 min Run 12 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 18 min Walk 1 min Run 11 min	Run & Walk Run 19 min Walk 1 min Run 10 min	Rest

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
7	Run & Walk Run 20 min Walk 1 min Run 9 min	Run & Walk Run 20 min Walk 1 min Run 9 min	Run & Walk Run 22 min Walk 1 min Run 7 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 24 min Walk 1 min Run 5 min	Run & Walk Run 26 min Walk 1 min Run 3 min	Rest

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
8	Run & Walk Run 27 min Walk 1 min Run 2 min	Walk Run 20 min Walk 1 min Run 9 min	Run & Walk Run 28 min Walk 1 min Run 1 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 29 min Walk 1 min	Run & Walk Run 30 min	Rest

Shoe of the Week 5/11

I wanted to start this to acknowledge shoes that I feel have exceeded my expectations in a running shoe.

For this week I choose the Brooks Infinity 2 as Shoe of the Week

Type: Light Stability

Cost: $124

The infinity goes over and beyond my expectations in a running shoe. It is considered apart of the guidance group of shoes. This means that it has a slight stability post under the arch, low enough to where a neutral runner can wear this shoe and be unaffected, and where a slight pronator can be made neutral. The shoe uses Brooks BIOMOGO technology which is a fully degradable and this shoes will turn to dirt after 20 years (50 times faster than regular shoes). But don't take this the wrong way. This shoe will get you a full 400 miles It has superior cushioning compared to any other shoe in its category. The fit of the shoe is as snug as a sock and is less abrasive to avoid any rubbing between the material and the skin.

I would have to rate the Brooks Infinity 2 a perfect 10

Why You Should Go A Full Size Larger

(Courtesy of Luke's Locker Shopper)

If you look at each 3rd toe, they are black. In most cases this is caused by running in shoes that are too small for you feet. What happens is one each step of running when you toe off on one foot, all your weight and force is put on your toes and they are forced forward. If there is not enough room for you toes, they will butt up against the edge of you shoes. When this happens after every step, you toes will start to form blisters on the edge of the toes or right under the nail. After awhile they will form into blood blisters that are built up under the nail. This will cause the nails to appear black from the blood. After about a 3 month time period, the black nail will fall off. It is best to try to keep it on as long as possible because a new nail is forming underneath.

In most cases this can easily be fixed by going another half to full size up. Black toenails usually are not painful, but are not fun to have. Save yourself the issue and make sure you are in the right size. In a proper running shoe you want to have a full thumbnails length from your longest toe to the edge of the shoe.

This will keep you toes from hitting the edge of the shoe when running.

If you heels start to slip because of going up to a larger size, then try the Runner's Loop