Running Naked :(
I'll spare you the lame jokes and sexual innuendos and jump straight to the point...
Last fall I wrote a post about how sweat got into my first iPod and fried it. The picture on the left shows how I was planning to MacGyver my new iPod in order to make it more sweat resistant... That's when Morgan over at CAUTION: Redhead Running swooped in and spared me the embarrassment and hassle of running around with a ziplock bag duct-taped to my arm by recommending the sleek little neoprene carrying case you see on the right brought to you from the folks at grantwood... The case worked amazingly for the last 8 months, but even minimalist waterproof neoprene is no match for my sweaty monster self...Yesterday at 9:45 am I officially killed my second iPod as sweat moisture wicked through the velcro armband into the neoprene case and eventually into my shoddily made iPod :(
It's not all bad though... you know what they say... when life gives you lemons, make lemoncellos... so now that I won't have the music of my iPod distracting me I plan on using the next few weeks concentrating on my form (though maybe I shouldn't be messing with perfection).
Weekly Recap
I had an awesome week of training... after hitting the weightroom on Monday I started off my running week on Tuesday with a general aerobic 9 miler on the treadmill at sub 8 minute pace... Wednesday I headed for the hills for a brutal 6Xhill workout (as previously documented on this blog)... After a recovery 4 miler and 2 miler ran respectively on Thursday and Friday, I decided to skip out on a 5k I was contemplating running on Saturday and instead opted for a 6.2 mile marathon pace/steady state run (aka 10k aka 109.36 football fields) at 7:06 pace (still 10 seconds faster than my intended pace but actually not a bad pacing effort relative to what I normally do)... Sunday I finished out the week with an 18 mile long run.
Chicago 2009 training comparison flashback
Week 3 stats (2010) Week 3 stats (2009)
45.01 miles 16.6 miles
8:02 average pace 8:31 average pace
long run - 18.14 miles long run - 6 miles
Gotta be happy about that comparison... last year I was seriously feeling the effects of the increased mileage. Luckily it was a step-back week so I took an extra day off and still struggled through the 6 mile "long run"... This year, now that I'm actually going into marathon training with an adequate base I can handle 40+ mile weeks and still knock out several quality sessions... last year my marathon training peaked at a 50 mile week with a 22 mile long run... right now I'm almost to 50 miles and have already hit an 18 miler... I pretty much feel like if my marathon was just 2 weeks away instead of 15 weeks away I could taper right now and already beat my PR of 3:39... definitely a good place to be at this point in my training cycle.
Look into my crystal ball
The plan for Week 4 is to hold steady in the mid 40 mileage range but to step back the intensity just a hair... I still have a tempo run planned for Tuesday, but I'm limiting the tempo section of the run to about 3 miles... I also 5k planned for Sunday to access my current fitness... I'm cutting my long run back down to 14 miles (which I'll be incorporating my warm-up, 5k, and cool down into). However I also have a medium long run of 10 miles scheduled for mid week.
I run naked all the time (yes, sans ipod). You may find that you like it!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you've got an awesome start on your training. Speaking as the patron saint of all things injury, just be careful you don't push too hard or to too far too quickly and get hurt.
ReplyDeleteEver think about getting one of the waterproof enclosures for your iPod like some folks use for swimming? Not sure how bulky they are, but they would/should keep the wet out.
This is coming from someone who used a 1st generation iPod shuffle (yes, the big white stick one) for years (water-proofed with the lovely plastic bag method), but I've come to like the Sansa Clip. I got it for my husband because he didn't like using his larger MP3 player for working out. I recently got another cheap $20 MP3 player with a clip on it, but the Sansa is much better and you can get one for $30 on Amazon. I just like to refill mine with new songs every once in awhile so I don't have a need for huge storage space and the Sansa still allows you to create playlists, unlike a Shuffle.
ReplyDeleteYikes, sorry about the iPod. I can't run more than a mile naked so I hope you have better luck than I. Good luck with waterproofing task. You're definitely getting speedier and cranking out much better mileage this Chicago round - yay!!!!
ReplyDeleteC'mon, you don't need an iPOD. The music is in your head!
ReplyDeleteI run with my cell and secure it in a plastic bag for sweat/gatorade avoidance. I don't care if it looks kinda shitty, plastic bags are impervious to the elements.
And, hey, way to man up and skip the 5K. Your training is looking great. And those mid-week 10-mile runs are invaluable. Enjoy.
I bought a refurbed shuffle on eBay for $30. One of the older model ones--the ones that clip on. I clip it onto my tank tops at the shoulder. That's the only way I can wear one and not drown it in sweat.
ReplyDeleteThey're not inexpensive, but H20 audio makes waterproof armbands.
ReplyDeleterunning naked is absolutely necessary for me. At least 2X/week.!!
ReplyDeleteI think my ipod is on the verge of being fried just like yours. I had to reset it to the manufactured settings because it was spazzing last week likely b.c like most runners in this hot and humid weather, I am sweating way too much.
ReplyDeleteMe again....just read Stephanie's blog and thought you might like her Sony product review: http://50marathonchallenge.blogspot.com/2010/06/sony-product-review-sony-w-series.html
ReplyDeleteLooks like perhaps an answer to your sweat problem.
Killer comp numbers over the year. I've been meaning to tell you that your blog header gets my vote for the best in the land...
ReplyDeleteLove the comparison stats. I believe you will smoke your PR from last year. Its there in black and white. As far as the Ipod, I rarely listen to music when I run. But when I do on my LSDs, I have a creative labs zen, and the arm strap it came with totally encases the player, but leaves indents to where you press the buttons. I have never had a problem with it and I sweat like something fierce.
ReplyDeleteThose side by side comparisons are amazing. I never get tired of seeing those.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the sweat. I've killed 2 ipods myself. Annoying.
you seem slightly ahead of where you were last year. :)
ReplyDeletec'mon, time to man up and ditch the ipod!