the 619 runner

I have an ANNOUNCEMENT! Zone Perfect bars are the most tastiest nutrition bars I've ever ate... I'm not trying to be a commercial here but it's true. I've been buying the strawberry yogurt bars for some time now. And I also just purchased the Cinnamon Roll flavored. I'm just amazed how tasty these bars are. Plus they are full of healthy vitamins. Another great thing is that if your not satisfied about the taste you can get your money back. They have this "Great Taste Guarantee." Make sure to pick up a box and you'll agree that these are the best tasting bars out there.

I have a problem with rocks jumping into my shoe after a trail run. Yesterday, I went out for a run at a trail run course in Chula Vista and a bunch of rocks ended up in both shoes. Although, the terrain isn't that bad I still have issues kicking up rocks. After the run I notice blisters usually on my right foot, which is extremely annoying. Now I'm in need of a solution. I've done a good search and found a product that prevents this from happening. It's called trail gaiters. They cover the top portion of the shoe. I'm not too fond about the style aspect of it but it seems functional.

I've debating whether I should get some new sunglasses exclusively for running and possibly cycling. Lately I've been using my Spy polarized sunglasses that I've had for the longest time. They've done the job well but they aren't the lightest for active sports. I think it's time to have a devoted pair of sunglasses for running and cycling.

Last month I was able to try a few Nike and Under Armour sunglasses at Road Runner Sports. The Nike sunglasses definitely stood out. They were extremely light and felt as though I wasn't wearing sunglasses as all. They have a great nose pad that provides great grip so the sunglasses won't fall off. But I've been also looking at Oakley's as well. The half jackets and the Flak jackets look very sporty. I hope to try them on this weekend and possibly make a decision.

Running in the heat is a challenge. I went out for a run on Labor Day to challenge myself against the heat. I put on my sunscreen and had my Nathan's Quick Draw Water bottle ready. I felt the heat on my face and skin. Although the heat wasn't desert heat it was definitely hotter than my usual runs. At that time I was coming off my 6 mile run a few days ago. My legs were a little sore from the distance. The course I ran this time had a lot of inclines which made it a little difficult. And when you pair the heat and inclines it made things difficult. I was a bit disappointed by my run. I wanted to run 3 miles but I ended up running 2.62 miles (Garmin).

For starters, I should've worn my sunglasses and my running hat. I totally forgot to bring these items with me when I left the house. I started a little fast in the beginning. I should've slowed down and not overworked myself.

I found 6 tips to run through the heat.

Switch gears and adapt. It takes about two weeks for your body to adapt to the heat and cool itself more efficiently. Slow your pace and reduce your intensity and get the run in rather than pushing through it. Doing so will allow you to more efficiently acclimate and continue to run. Your body will gradually become better at cooling itself in the warmer weather allowing you to continue to run at your normal pace.

Work with the heat. Run by your effort level rather than your typical pace until you acclimate. It is all about managing your body core temperature and not allowing it to rise too much, risking overheating and really slowing down. Like a car, if the temperature rises too high you will overheat.

Accessorize. Wear light colored, loose fitting wicking running gear. Technical apparel will allow moisture to pass through them to be evaporated, keeping your cooler. Wear sunglasses that filter UVA and UVB rays, waterproof sunscreen, and a hat or visor to protect your skin and eyes from the sun.

Timing is everything. Run at cooler times of the day in the morning or in the evening. If you run in the morning, you'll avoid the heat, but may encounter a higher humidity. The air quality is also better in the morning, since ozone levels increase soon after dawn, peak at midday, and then again in the early evening. Times to avoid running are noon till 3pm.

Extreme measures. If there is a heat alert or poor air quality day, take your workout indoors. You won't get any super-human reward for pushing in dangerous heat and it most likely will take your body longer to recover from the workout. Train smart.

Hydrate during your workouts. For workouts shorter than 45 minutes, water works just fine. For longer runs, research suggests consuming about a cup of sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes to fuel your muscles and aid in maintaining electrolyte levels.

Lately, I've been trying out a variety of different nutrition and protein bars to fuel my workout and my increased appetite. So I came across the Snicker Marathon bars at this years AFC expo. They have an Energy, Nutrition and Protein bar. I was impressed by the test and purchased a 6 pack box of Snickers Marathon Chocolate Nut Burst at Wal-Mart. It has 21 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber.

Overall, the taste was so-so. It tasted like a candy bar with its chocolate flavor... It's very sweet being a protein bar. When taking a bite it has a slight crunch from the peanuts, which I didn't like too much. The downside about this bar was the use of high fructose corn syrup, which is bad. I wouldn't purchase this bar in a regular basis. One would definitely get tired of the taste.

Yesterday I was able to complete my first 6 mile run of the year at Chula Vista's J Street Marina Park. I had my water bottle with my Powerbar Refuel drink mix and my Clif Bar Shot Blocks. Within 25 minutes of my run I decided to consume the Shot Blocks. I opened the package and ate 2 blocks. Minutes after I felt I had more energy to extend my run. After I completed my first lap (3 mile). I decided to go for
I was able to complete my 6 mile run in 63 minutes... Not bad?

I accomplished an important goal in my quest to run a 1/2 half marathon! 6 miles is only half way...

After long runs and leg works my calves tends to get sore, which is usually the case since the calf muscle is an essential part of running. With the increase mileage I've been adding to my runs might have caused some strain. Resting helps but it takes time to get it back to 100%... If there were only a way to recover faster.

Introducing the Zensah Compression Calf Sleeve.

I've done searching on how to recover faster from runs and a compression sleeve is the solution. Although they might look cool it serves a purpose. According to the Zensah Website

Zensah has developed recovery leg sleeves using a special knitting process and fabric.

The Calf/Shin Recovery Sleeves are made with gradient compression which provides wide ribbing in the front for shin support and tight ribbing in the back for calf support.

The sleeves are made with Zensah Fabric which has silver helping to regulate skin temperature and fight bacteria. The sleeves can be worn during training or for recovery to increase oxygen blood flow to the muscles of the lower leg. The more oxygen the muscles receive the faster they recover, allowing athletes to push the envelope in their training. The Zensah Calf/Shin sleeve is ideal for runners, cyclists and triathletes and anyone else who is on their feet. It can be worn during training, recovery or for traveling.

The Zensah Calf/Shin sleeves are unique in that they provide Pin-Point Compression to the front and back of the leg. The dual action support was developed by a professional athletic trainer.

I've used this for the past few days and I must say they work like a charm. I totally notice the difference after wearing them. My legs calves don't feel as strained. I've read reviews about people using them while training but I've yet to do that. Although the price might scare a few people away, it's worth every cent.

Everyones weight seems to fluctuate from time to time... If you don't work out for a while and not monitor your diet your weight goes up. This trend is usually what happens to a lot of people. Last year when I started running program I was around 163 lbs before I started... A few months of dedicated running and training I was able to drop down to 155... Which is amazing. I slacked off during the winter and spring and gained back the weight... I was really disappointed and wanted to do something about it again. So I committed myself to running more often.

I think with the temperature change and time change affected my running schedule. Hopefully, this year I will continue my training. I have several goals to accomplish, one of them being running a 1/2 marathon and maybe a marathon? A cool thing about running these marathon is that you get a really cool medal... I think having these goals will help me maintain my weight and increase my motivation to run.

Over the weekend I picked a Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS from Craigslist for a sweet price. After being disappointed by the incorrect data from the Nike+ I decided it was time for something new and accurate. Although this is a older model it still gets the job done.

It has a lot of cool features that I'm still learning at the moment. I had the opportunity to test it out against my Nike+ to see find out how "off" the Nike+ was. I set up the quick 3 mile workout on the Garmin and went for it. The Garmin clocked my run at 29:54... And the Nike+ said I ran 2.3 miles. The Nike+ was way off. I like the web interface of the Nike+ though but in terms of usability the Garmin wins.

I will continue to use the Nike+ to increase my stats on Nike+ but for my serious training the Garmin is where it's at.

I've noticed my Nike + has been providing me some incorrect results as of late. I've been running at Lake Miramar several times, which is approximately 4.9 miles around the lake. So I ran it several times and the Nike + kept on giving me 3.5 miles... At first I thought it would've been the calibration. I re-calibrated the sensor on a treadmill and ran the course again. And it still it provided me with the incorrect number.

I think I might actually invest in a GPS unit and compare the numbers. I assume that the GPS unit will be more accurate than the Nike +... We will see.

I had the opportunity to talk to one of Halo Headband reps at the 2009 America's Finest City expo. They carry several different products that prevent sweat from going into your eyes. This is a problem for me especially at the gym. They have hats, headbands, visors, skull caps. The secret is a yellow strip that is used to redirect the sweat to another area. I was a bit skeptical at first. I wondered how can a simple yellow strip on your forehead redirect the sweat. I decided to pass on making a purchase...

After the AFC 5k run I noticed that my friend purchased one of your hats. He told me that it worked really well.... After hearing that I had to try it out myself... I went on your website and located the nearest retailers in my area. I was lucky and found out that Black Mountain Bicycles in Mira Mesa carried your product. I purchased a head band and tried it out at the gym.

At the gym I took my very first spin class. As you know spin classes are notorious for high intensity workouts and sweat! I was surprised that all the sweat was redirected to the side of my face and not into my eyes.

I would definitely recommend this product to anybody!

It's been a while since I updated this running blog of mine. The first of the year started a bit shaky. After the Silver Strand 5k run in November I was pretty much hibernation mode. I wasn't really prepared for the entire weather change and felt lazy... Not a good thing. So I slacked off on my training and gained a few pounds.

I also laid off back in January. So I was bummed and didn't do too much for the first couple months. I was busy looking for another job and collecting unemployment. I also went to Seattle and Florida for vacation. Now fast forward to the present... I've been committed to getting back into gear. I've been training for the past two months and ran the America's Finest City 5k run.

It feels really good to get back into it again. Although it took me about a month and half for muscles to get used to the distance but its worth it. I need to keep the intensity up and not be lazy.

I'm looking forward to signing up to more events very soon to keep my motivation level high.

My running schedule has been inconsistent for the month of November. This time change and weather change is a bit difficult to get use to. But there is a 5k run in the end of January that I'd like to attempt.

So these past two weeks I've been running on the dreaded treadmill. Instead of the running the usual 5k on the treadmill I just run 2 to 2.5 mile each gym session. I think that distance is just right. Although it's not a lot I mix it with other exercises like bicycle or that sliding machine.

It's been about a week with this daylight savings time change and it's been affecting my running schedule. Usually I have enough time when coming from work to go out for a run. But with this new time change it's already dark. I might have to shift my outside running into treadmill running for now. As much as i dislike running the treadmill I have to run somehow. Plus its getting colder in the evenings as well. So having an LA fitness membership definitely comes in handy. so hopefully i can keep up my running.

Yesterday the running crew ran the Light the Night 5k at Balboa Park. we went there at around 530ish to pick up our bibs and warm up. the ong sleeve shirts that we receive were alright. they were not as fancy as the America's Finest technical shirts. but nonetheless they were still cool since they glow in the dark. they closed parts of park avenue for this run. we actually were running on the street. just like the lass run i had to dodge a lot of the slower runners. the run extended to almost the hillcrest area. the race started on an incline and then on our way back it was somewhat downhill.

as i was making my way back to the finish line i noticed that a police helicopter above. the police light was on the crowds of people. that was a pretty cool experience. gettin chased by a police helicopter. in the end i finished at around 30 mins. it was a fairly tough run. we met up with erwin and arlene in the end of the race. they actually got to the venue when the race began. all in all everybody had a good time.

the past few days were really getting hot... not a good time to run. but i did attempt to run when the sun went down a few days ago. it was still hot when i ran. i'm trying to mix my routes around the neighborhood to keep my runs fresh and new. here's one of my routes that i drew up on nike plus. i can't wait till it cools down.

i finally hit 202 miles! it's a great feeling to acheive this goal in such a short period of time. i ran a 5k in 29 mins... im still doing quite well. my times are still consistent and don't show any signs of slowing down. i've been able to shave off a minute or two here and there. i just need to increase my distant runs.

200 miles is getting closer and closer. i need 8 more miles to reach this goal. it just seemed like a few a months ago i reached 100 miles and now i'm inching closer to 200. this is unbelievable. i didn't think i would get into running so much. with nike+ technology and the lastest shoe technology makes running more enjoyable. i just need to keep the motivation up. with work being crazy busy and moving into a new place can definitely slow things down. i just need to familiarize myself with the neighborhood and just do it! i can't let laziness get the best of me. i need to continue with what i've started!

i went back home last night to take care of a few things. i asked justin if he was down for a run. he hasn't been running since school started a week ago. i had my gear in hand was pretty much ready to go for a run. it's been a while since i ran my old up hill route in oceanview. i was also set to redeem myself from mondays treadmill disappointment. the run went well. both justin and i were exhausted after the run. not so much me but more justin since he hasn't been running for a while. he told me that his body went numb for a little. maybe because he's been sitting down long hours at school, work at home. it looks like i still got it. according to nike+, i ran a 5k in 30:43 mins with a 9:51 mile pace. there were some parts of the run i slowed down but i could've continued a decent pace. i didn't want to overwork my body. i just wanted a decent time. outside running is bomb!

i finally got over my soreness from my leg workout last week. it took a while to recover though. today i went to LA fitness to have another go at it on the treadmill. the first half mile i felt good.... but once i warmed up, i warmed up... literally. it got really hot. it was somewhat unbearable and i felt my legs tiring after the first mile. i'm not sure if my legs were 100% recovered. but this was totally un-me. i decided to lower my expecatations and just finish with a 1.5 mile run. i was really disappointed. but a lot of factors i think really affected my run. i really hate the treadmill. it's a nice training tool but it doesn't beat running outside... nuff said.