Tag Archives: fitness

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163/365. a realization slowly dawns on me while using the new spotify running feature.

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163/365. a realization slowly dawns on me while using the new spotify running feature.

i’ve been testing our the new spotify running feature ( more here ) and i love it. the commissioned originals playlists didn’t really do much for me. i’m sure they’ll figure that out, but i can run to the “electronic moves” playlist at 170-180 beats per minute all day long. not too many repeat songs after several hours of running. i only wish they’d let me “thumbs up/down” and make it easy for me to add songs to my own playlists.

i was enjoying it so much on an 8 mile run today that i thought they surely left money on the table because i’d gladly pay for this feature. then it occurred to me that i’m probably more valuable to some companies that would really like to know not just that i’m a runner but when i’m running and how often i run. right on cue, i heard an ad for a protein recovery beverage.

and then, a little more slowly than it probably should have, a lightbulb went off.

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11/365. prime suspects in my ( now fixed ) Hip Flexor Issue.

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11/365. prime suspects in my ( now fixed ) Hip Flexor Issue.

for a couple of months, i’ve had an on-going issue with my hip flexor muscle. it was not happy and letting me know which was cramping my running style. normally, when you run into a repetitive stress issues you try to take some time off. i tried. really, i did. i resolved to take a month or more off from running but the reality was that i’d take a week or so off and go for a run and realize it was the wrong decision.

turns out my “just so story” is that the problem wasn’t so much a repetitive stress problem with my hip flexor, but rather that i put 500 miles on running shoes which was too many. for reasons that a sports physiologist can better explain, putting too many miles on my shoes caused my calves to tighten, which led to running just a wee bit flat-footed, which led to my irritated hip flexor muscle.

new shoes, running a little slower, focusing on my form and working on loosening my calves has worked wonders. i ran first 12 mile run in months. felt great! whooooooooo!

many people have different opinions about when the best time is to switch out shoes. over thousands of miles of running, 300 miles seems like best time for me. i can get away with 400 miles, but 500 is too many.

hopefully i don’t forget that. again 🙂

if you’re a runner, how many miles to you put on your shoes?

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7/365. a new running low!

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7/365. a new running low!

no, i’m not going to do all running selfies for the “365 project” but, whoooweee, this is a new low in more ways than one. 5 miles. -8°F actual. -27°F windchill. Probably -32-35°F windchill when factoring in 7mph running speed. it’s hard to see in photo but my eyelashes developing significant icicle buildup.

without a doubt this is the coldest run i’ve ever done. for gear, i threw on thermal underwear under my running pants, 3 long sleeve running shirts under my winter running coat, 2 pairs of socks, 3 gloves ( 2 running gloves and a pair of “regular” cold weather gloves ), a balaclava and a cold weather running hat. at these temps, i’m solidly in the skin freezes in 30 minutes zone, so i’m a bit paranoid about unintentionally exposed skin.

all things considered, the run felt good but -30°F windchill is my new low, brutal limit. probably not going to run if it gets any colder 🙂

i don’t know why i do this. i guess it’s the challenge. at the very least, it’ll make running in 0°F weather feel balmy.