Pepe Runs : July 2014

Thursday, July 24, 2014

When to listen to your body.

So last week and part of this week I have been getting some good miles. Which is great for me since it has definitely given me the confidence that I think will lead me to run my best in the fall. Unfortunately, my body has also felt the effects of the runs. This week I have been getting extra sleep and have been abnormally tired. I've tried to eat my best and have prioritized on improving my health. One thing I have noticed is that when I increase my mileage my body needs more sleep in order for proper recovery. I don't think it's just resting, but having the appropriate stretches for your muscles is also important. I learned the concept of stretching after annoying small pains in my calf, ankle, and Achilles. After having these issues I have definitely learned to pull back, before it gets worse. I do this not necessarily planned but usually my body tells me when the fatigue is high. These symptoms of high fatigue usually include: restless legs, abnormally tired, and general fatigued.
For me it's okay to take a day off when I'm feeling like this. For example, I usually use my stationary bike to get my legs moving when I'm feeling abnormally tired. Today for example, I wasn't feeling like waking up at 5:30 in the morning and decided to not go run this morning. I was okay with it because last week I hit 80 miles and this week up until today I was going strong so I knew it was time for a little break. So after coming home today I was able to get on the bike for two hours and how I feel a lot better. By resting today I will not be ready for tomorrow and the weekend long runs, which are crucial for marathon training.

I'll leave you with this graph that I saw today that was really stood out for me. It is a graph that compares by developed country the use of transit, biking, and walking and the obesity rate. It is clear that a correlation exist and between the two and the USA is definitely very car dependent. I hope that in the future more priorities can be placed on measures where it can be more practical for people to use other means and improve their health. It's not a us vs. them I think were all in it together and should work towards the greater good.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Runners Safety

So last week I had to make a 911 call on my morning run. I think this was my first 911 call that I have made while running. Fortunately nothing happened, but it was a matter of a second between getting hit or not. I was on Whittier and San Fernando intersection in Forest Hills neighborhood in Dallas. The intersection all had stop signs. I was crossing the intersection, and a red ford pick up with a white camper cam zooming by, I was in the middle of the street and when I realized he wasn't stopping I immediately accelerated. The driver then started to honk at me, didn't slow down and luckily my acceleration was sufficient enough to pass the intersection before the diver went by. I had my phone with me that morning, but I was in shock and scared beyond belief. I didn't even think about trying to see the drivers license or taking a picture of the vehicle. I was just glad that I didn't get hit on that run.
After the shock and running to my home I realized that I needed to make a 911 call. I called the operator and explained the situation, but without a plate number, there was little that could be done. Unfortunately, things like these can happen to anyone and I know it it would have been a small child they certainly would have been hit. As a runner it's important to always be on the lookout for cyclist, cars, dogs that can come at you. It doesn't matter who's at fault at the end of the day one needs to be at the defensive in order to not get hurt.
RRCA Safety Tips

Todd Williams offers safety tips

Sunday, July 20, 2014

July 14

Monday 7 miles

Tuesday 7 miles

Wednesday 11 miles

Thursday 11 miles

Friday 11 miles

Saturday 21.5 miles 2:50

Sunday 12 miles

Had some showers and cooler weather this week felt good. Definitely feels good to get some good miles in this week.

Friday, July 18, 2014

about 3 months till the marathon

As some of you know I'm training for the bay-state marathon in Allston MA. I like to do a fall marathon with my brother and since this one is about an hour away from his house and has had good reviews we thought it would be a good one. It is also a week after Chicago which a lot of Rockwall runners are running so it will be good to give it a try even thought it might be a little bit early in the fall season.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/45172814/
After seeing the course on the website I like that it is is a two loop course and doesn't have too many turns. I think my forte are courses that are flat and cool. My training up to this point has been going okay, it is definitely the time for me to start increasing up my mileage in order for me to get in the zone. Also most for my long runs have been around 10-14 which is okay but I definitely want to start getting some higher mileage. Finally, my weight is a bit high right now, as I'm at 172 lbs. Ideally, I want to be in the 160 lbs. range and I'm working towards it. Although three months until peak may sound like a ways, I know that it is now when I have to be working and putting in the mileage if I want to be running at my best during October. As far as races before then I haven't decided on any, since I don't like to race during the summer, due to the heat. If I don't do any tune up races I will at least get some marathon pace long runs in order to simulate race conditions. I'm finding that as I'm increasing my mileage my muscles are getting pretty sore especially my calf's so I'm taking extra time to stretch and roll them in order for the muscles to loosen up a little bit. I'm excited about Bay-state, I know that I'm not in peak shape just yet, but since Chicago marathon in 2012 I haven't really had a pr race in a marathon and I definitely want to get back there.
http://baystatemarathon.com/baystate-marathon-detailed-course-description/