2000 Page Views, Gaining Weight on Whey Protein, Winter Running Update (and the tale of two friends)

Hello everyone!  Thanks for reading my blog!


2000 Page Views
As of sometime yesterday, my tiny little blog eclipsed 2000 page views since its inception last spring.  I am not a high traffic blog, so I am grateful for the followers that I do have.  Sometimes this stuff can seem a little random, but as an active runner, and somewhat new to this stuff, I am constantly running into new issues or areas of interest - and then I pass them on here.

Gaining weight on Whey Protien
I have been "running my butt off"  like the Runner's World Challenge to run every day between Thanksgiving and New Years Day, and for some reason (???) I have been continually gaining weight.  I step on the scale and see a little nudge upward every month, and I have to say it is disheartening, puzzling, and simply not good for a guys knees. 

This week I did some research on a supplement that I have been taking, and which I thought to be pretty common among folks who train a lot and want to recover quickly - Whey Protein.  So I did some thinking, and some research, and came to the conclusion that my weight gain issues may be related to Calories - and the fact that I am putting too many calories in my body, even though I am doing my daily runs.

So I checked the labeling.  My Whey Protein has about 115 Calories per scoop, and I take between a half and a whole scoop per shake, milk has about 90 Calories per Cup, and I am sure I do two cups per shake, then there's my little secret (that makes it actually taste good) Carnation Instant Breakfast (now called "Breakfast Essentials") which contains about 130 Calories per serving, plus lots of sugar. 

So, my estimate is that the shake is a) probably pretty healthy with the exception of all that yummy sugar, and b) adding between 300 and 400 Calories to my diet that I am not taking back out someplace else!  My real world analogy to this is going to McDonalds for what they call a "meal".  The food alone constitutes adequate nutrition (OK - maybe more Calories than you need) with protien, carbs, etc. - but then you ADD a large Coke, and way overshoot on Calories!  That's how I am thinking about the Protein Shakes. 

If it turns out that taking out the shakes helps, I will certainly let you know.  And for today, it looks like I am stuck getting all my nutrition from foods (sarcasm!).  Not a crisis, just a shopping challenge.

Winter Running Update (the tale of two friends)
Interesting coincidence in my last post.  I had two good friends of mine reply to the same question about dealing with slippery conditions during winter running, and the idea of putting Yak Tracks on your feet to help with running.  I won't go into the details here because that isn't what matters.  What really matters at the two of my friends, Carmen and Joy, both replied to my question ... and they don't know each other and have never met .... and Carmen is experienced with the first stages of becoming a Triathlete ... and Joy is planner her first Triathlon in the coming season!  Now I just need to play "matchmaker" with these two.  Below is a link to Joy's blog.  It's a great journal of of the trials of preparing for a first tri.  Good luck Joy!

http://joyschmitzjourney.blogspot.com/2012/12/she-learns-why-people-love-to-run.html?spref=fb


Hey everyone - thanks for reading my blog!
Stu

Runner's World Challenge, Cold Weather Running, Investor Development

Hi everyone, and thanks for reading my blog.

A few items for today...

Runner's World Challenge - Run at least one mile every day from Thanksgiving until New Years Day.  Well - so far its going quite well, but I'm from Minnesota so I can't count on making it work every day.  I'm wondering if my insticts are going to send me to a treadmill or the track at the Y when the first snow storm hits.  Best of luck to all that are joining me in the challenge!

Cold Weather Running
I have done lots of research this month into winter running gear.  Most of it is just common sense.  Nobody, though, wants to tell  when it's just too cold to run.  The closest I found was the warnings about Athsma sufferers having trouble with cold air (I am one, and haven't noticed it yet).  I'm fully outfitted now that I bought a really light Under Armor running jacket.  I am just putting long sleave layers of poly pro on first, then the jacket, compression shorts, running pants, hat gloves, etc.   Also have taken to using a lightweight fleece vest under the jacket and over the shirts.  I have not over dressed yet since the cold weather started, but I have had to pull off the hat and gloves a few times.

Question - What are you planning to do for footwear stability on slick icy roads?  Yack Trax?  Trail Shoes?  Not run?

Investor Development
Our company, www.moxymonitor.com ,  is getting ready to launch a product.  So, now there is a need for capital.  We've gotten ourselves involved with a few outfits that are considered "Angel Networks", and things are progressing nicely.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Stu

Winter Running, Runner's World Challenge, What are you thankful for?

Hello again everyone, and thanks for reading my blog.

Winter Running
Winter Running, for me, is a totally new challenge.  My son (14) and I ran a 5k yesterday, and I may have underestimated the unpredictable Minnesota Fall weather.  At 6am it was 48 degrees and completely calm, and at race time it seemed to still be nice enough for shorts and t-shirt running.  As we took off, the wind came up and the temp fell at least 5 degrees during the race alone.  Things went fine, but I was very cold when I finished.  Maybe the weather also played a positive role, in that my son and I both put up a Personal Best in the race.

Forward to today.  I took off for a run around the lake I live on, with the temperature in the mid-twenties, but the wind chill sitting down at 5 degrees F.  Thank goodness for the under armor (not a product placement) running pants I bought a few weeks ago.  With a hat, gloves, three shirts, and my long pants, I think I was set up just about right.  However, I don't know if I would want it any windier, or colder for such a run. 





Runner's World Challenge
Just heard (via facebook) yesterday about this challenge.  And for me, I always need something to keep me going - some kind of a challenge.  http://www.runnersworld.com/cold-weather-running/2012-holiday-running-streak?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-News-_-RunStreak

Their challenge: to run at least one mile every day from Thanksgiving to New Years Day.  What a cool idea!  And, based on today's run, I may have to squeeze in some Tread Mill time once in a while.  Good luck to all of you who decide to take the challege!!!


What are you thankful for?
I am sure that we all have something to be thankful for, even if it sometimes takes us a few minutes to ponder the question before answering.  For example, I am thankful that it's only one more week until this Movember thing ends and I can shave off this facial hair (although it does come in handy for winter running, and it doesn't slow you down a bit!).  If you haven't heard about this, check out www.movember.com .  It's all for a good cause.

I am also thankful for running.  This great past time has only come back into my life about a year and a half ago.  I am nothing short of stunned at the number of opportunities to race just in our little area of the state.  There's a race about every other weekend from the end of March to Thanksgiving Day.  Pretty amazing season, and a lot of very hard working people to make it all come together.  Add to that the fact that most all of these races are for some good cause, some charity that is worthy of our dollars.  Nice work everyone!

But most of all, I would say that none of those things even come close the how thankful I am for the love and support of family and friends.  Thanksgiving is a day where we all get together and have a great time eating, chatting, napping, watching football, and making darn sure that the next generation knows and appreciates their extended family.

Thanks again for reading my blog!

Stu

Minimalist Running Shoes, Triathlete Carmen

Minimalist Running Shoes
First of all, an update on my "minimalist" running shoe transition.  Be sure to not under estimate this one.  You could be in for a tough time if you don't prepare yourself for the impact of this transition.  Overall, I am very happy that I made the change.  I ran 4.6 miles during a lunch break today (beautiful sunny fall MN day!!!).  No problems, and really made good time for such a long (to me) run.

Some problems I have encountered during the transition include:

• Sore feet and ankles
• Needed a new cadence (used metronome and head phones at 180 beats per minute)
• Both calf muscles pulled in subsequent hill intervals, with accompanying tightness in achilles.
• Tightness in my hips - which I think is related to the transition
• Some soreness in the low back, which has since gone away.

As I said, I think it's been a good move.  I am still interested in continuing with form improvements, and would like any suggestions you can send my way.  Has anyone heard of POSE?

Triathlete Carmen
Met a person at a recent business conference and she turned me on to the novice side of doing Triathlons.  Thanks to Carmen for her enthusiasm and her great writing skills.  She gave me lots to think about regarding training the three sports, how to do "bricks", and how to practice transitions in prep for race day.

As a runner myself, I really like this prespective the Carmen passed on to me in a recent email:

Hi Stu - My Tri work is going pretty well.  I'm not as intense in my training as some people seem to be, but the races in July and August really pushed me to a new level.  I now finish a hill without realizing what I just did!  I was hoping to get in longer bike rides this fall, but found I was more interested in swimming - go figure. I'd have to say, it really is doing all 3 three on a regular basis that has increased my fitness level and enjoyment.  I can get tired of running 4-5 times a week, but not so much if I'm only going out 2 times with a swim and bike or two in between.  Everything seems to stay more fresh.

I may post on this topic again, as Carmen also went on to give me lots of advice on how to keep developing and improving toward my own first Triathlon. 

Thanks again to all of you for reading my blog, and a special thanks to Carmen for being such an inspiration to all of us. 

Stu

Moxy Monitor Blog, SmO2, Training Zones, Minimalist Shoes, Yoga

Hello Everyone - and thanks for reading my blog.

In this post I am taking a bit of a short cut because I wanted to leverage some content provided by our company's blog (www.moxymonitor.com ) that many of you may not get exposed to on a regular basis.  This one hits on training zones, and, as a runner myself, this is something I am starting to struggle with a lot.  I am trying to make the transition from a "novice" to an "intermediate" runner, and to do that I have to learn to work smarter. 

I ran a 5k today, and while I am still maintaining good times, or at least not losing ground, I keep thinking that I should be getting better faster based on the time I am spending running. 

Check this out, and let me know what you think:

http://my.moxymonitor.com/blog/bid/232431/Implementing-the-80-20-Ratio-to-Maximize-Endurance-Performance

Don't forget about my Yoga question from last week.  I am still waiting to hear from You!  Also, the transition to "minimalist" shoes is going well (and I'm reading the book "Born to Run" to keep me motivated). 

Thanks for reading my blog...

Stu

Minimalist Running Shoes, Brooks PureConnect, GOgroove AudioACTIVE Headset, Cross Training with Yoga, Bikram Yoga

Hi Everyone - and thanks for reading my blog!

I am going to give a few updates on things I have recently purchased and am actually using.  Also, a few questions about Yoga - please send me your thougths.


Breaking in my new shoes - Brooks Pure Connect

In my last blog I mentioned that I had bought a pair of Brooks Pure Connect shoes (Minimalist Running Shoes).  Well, they came in the mail late last week.  I have been trying to follow some on-line wisdom for breaking them (and me) in. 

Most of the warnings about making the change to a Minimalist shoe are related to the BIG change from heel striking to mid-foot landing.  I have found this to be quite true. 

The first day I ran only about 10 minutes, and tried to keep my pace easy.  They felt really odd to me, but when I started to concentrate on why - it was just the fact that my foot was landing underneath me, not in front of me, and I was mostly landing mid-foot.  They make you feel a bit like a ballerina. 

The second day I upped it from 1 mile to 2 miles, and the third day I did three miles.  I have a 5K this Saturday, so I want to stick with that distance.  Today's 3-miler was also an interval run, so I really got to hit the throttle and see how things work.  The prancing feeling was amplified, but it wasn't anything that I couldn't deal with.  I don't see any affect on my speed or effort, and may be seeing it actually a bit easier. 

One recommendation that I found very valuable - the foot massage.  I have been working the arches of my feet about three times a day.  Easy to do - anytime you are sitting around (maybe not during a meal ...).  So far the massages have been helping with any pain or stiffness.



New Blue Tooth Head Phones:  GOgroove AudioACTIVE Wireless Headset

Got my new Blue Tooth wireless headphones today.  So far they have been working quite well with my MotoACTV GPS Wristwatch and MP3 Player.  Had a little trouble to start with, mostly getting them to sync, and now I seem to have to sync them everytime I use them.  Very comfortable and easy to use with the MotoACTV.   I had a pair of Motorola SD10-HD Blue Tooth headphones, but they stopped working.  I think the battery is shot/defective/not working at all. Took these new GOgrooves for a run the last three days in a row, and NO PROBLEMS.





Yoga Anyone? As a Cross Training Activity?

I keep seeing articles on-line and in magazines about the benefits of Yoga as a Cross-Training idea.  Please send me your thoughts.  I have a local Yoga studio that I have never tried.

Have any of my readers given it a try?

Is it true that Yoga is good for a runner's breathing? 

Is Yoga a good way to improve and strengthen the core?

Do any of you know the difference between Yoga and Bikram Yoga? 


As always - thanks to everyone for reading my Blog!

Stu

Barefoot Running, Minimalist Shoes, Interbike 2012, Ant+ Alliance Symposium

Hello Everyone, and thanks for reading my blog!!!

A new direction in shoes...
This week I took the "plunge" and ordered a pair of running shoes that are classified as "minimalist", which means that I will be trying to switch my running mechanics from traditional, heel-lifted,  running shoes, to something with a flat heel, minimal padding, but that also provide protection for the foot that going barefoot obviously won't accomplish (glass, rocks, etc.).  I chose a Brooks product because I have a pair of Brooks running shoes and like them, and because I found a nice article in Running Times  (http://runningtimes.com/Channel.aspx?CategoryID=355) that told me what I wanted to hear about the shoes.  I chose the Brooks PureConnect shoe ($90) and expect to see it arriving at my door in the next few days.



I must say I'm a little nervous about the switch because I have had some difficulty with pain in my arches in the past.

Why am I willing to give this a shot?  First of all - I have to admit that I have had a great season with my traditional running shoes this year.  My improvements this Summer season have been very statisfying for me.  So, it's not this season's performance that drives me to try minimalist shoes.  I have to go back to last Fall when I first started using my traditional running shoes.  I had spent the entire Summer of 2011 running in some basic cross-trainer shoes (wasn't sure yet that this running thing was for me).  Once I got hooked, there were some suggestions made that "you better get some decent shoes so you don't hurt yourself".  So I made the move.

Since switching to traditional running shoes, I have had a variety of aches and pains, injuries, and set backs that made me think that my running mechanics may be the cause.  The most severe of which was a terrible case of Runner's Knee (sometimes also referred to as Jumper's Knee) this last Spring when I got back on the open road with my training. 

What finally pushed me to try minimalist shoes was a discussion I had with a gentleman from Australia that visited our booth at Interbike 2012 in Las Vegas last week.  Dominic Bricomb, an Osteo, suggested that moving to a barefoot or minimalist motion would reduce the shock and impact affects of "heal striking" on my knees.  That was it, I was sold.

Then today I read the following post, and being an engineer, I really liked the technical explanation.  Take a look.  It comes from a blog that I hadn't heard of until this week - "The Science of Sport".   Here's there blog post on minimalist shoes: http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/03/running-shoes-part-iii.html.

 I will keep you posted as I attempt to transition slowly and safely to my new running mechanics.

I should also give "honorable mention" to my good friend Herbie for running a 5K with me this Summer in a cheap pair of flat canvas high top tennies to show me that minimalist doesn't always mean that we give in to the big shoe companies and their marketing campaigns.  I, of course, didn't pass that same test...


 Ant+ Alliance Symposium
Welcome back to Roger (my partner in www.moxymonitor.com ).  He just got back from Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, where he attended a great symposium on Ant+.  Lots of highlights are forthcoming, but according to Roger, the networking was great, and a keynote speech by Ray Maker (www.dcrainmaker.com ) was worth the trip.



If you don't know what Ant+ is - it's a wireless protocol used widely (and growing) by the fitness community to connect devices (like the Moxy Monitor of course) to the user interface (wristwatch display, GPS watch, bike computer, etc.).  We have been looking at a variety of options for Moxy, like BlueTooth, BlueTooth Low Energy, and of course Ant+.  No final decisions yet (stay tuned).


Thanks for reading my Blog!!!

Stu