Your GPS Watch May be Lying to You

Today on the New York Times website I came across an article about GPS watches and their inaccuracy in measuring distance and pace.  I was startled to read just how off these watches can be.  I always had an inkling my Garmin wasn't quite 100% accurate, but I had no idea how wrong it could be.

"It seems clear enough that a GPS watch is not very accurate, yet online runners’ forums, like one at the Web site of Runners World, are filled with comments from confused athletes who rely on the devices. One poster, for example, ran a half marathon and wore a GPS watch that said the distance was 12.8 miles instead of 13.1."

There have been many times during a run where I feel like I am really pushing it and working hard and I look down bemused to see a pace much slower than I imagined.  A few reports mentioned in this article stated that paces can sometimes be off by as much as a minute and a half!  This is when it becomes really important to listen to our bodies -- the most accurate device out there. 

This is, of course, frustrating news, especially thinking that I may run more than the intended 20 miles of a long run.  Who on earth wants to do that?  But this news also serves as an important reminder to keep it simple.  Many ultra-runners run for time not mileage. Rather than going out for a 15 mile run, they might go out for a 2 hour run.  It's a different concept but it brings us to the same goal.

When it comes to intervals or speedwork, pace is clearly important.  This is when it might be best to hit the track with a basic stopwatch.  For Christmas Angela bought me a pretty basic Timex Ironman watch for timing intervals, strides and repeats.   It's lightweight, easy to use and perfect for these types of workouts.

I will definitely continue to use my Garmin, I will just be less trusting of the numbers.  If I feel like I had a good run and the Garmin tells me otherwise, I'll trust my body.  Back to basics.

 Read the full article here



Do you rely on a GPS watch?

Does this news surprise you?

Best of 2011

 I love making "Best Of" lists.  It is fun to look back and pick out who inspired you and what moved and excited you most.  I put together a little list of "Best of 2011".

Best of 2011:

Best Album: Bon Iver (self-titled album)

Best Movie: Beginners

Best Book:  Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese

Most Inspirational Athlete: Abby Wambach

Best of 2011...in Running:

Most Scenic Running Trail: Guy Fleming Trail, Torrey Pines State Reserve

Most Inspirational Runner: Scott Jurek.  He shows the world that one can be an incredible athlete on a plant-based diet.  Better yet, he is vegan for reasons of compassion, making him even more heroic in my book. 

Best Race: Surf City Marathon, Huntington Beach, CA.  My very first 26.2 and the race where I qualified for Boston.  I surpassed all goals and expectations of myself.


Best Running Book: Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run, by Kristin Armstrong.  She writes so eloquently and really hits the nail on the head when it comes to running, friendship, family and relationships.  I love the way she uses running as a metaphor for all of these things.


Best Running Shoes: Brooks Ghost 4

Best Running Movie:  Unbreakable, without question.



Guy Fleming Trail - as seen in RW.  My favorite place to run!

Which runner was most inspiring to you in 2011?

What was your most memorable race?

Unbreakable: The Western States 100

I was so excited when I saw the DVD I ordered had arrived in our mailbox.  All day at work I couldn't wait to get home and pop in Unbreakable.  I watched it while I ran on the treadmill and I felt like I was running with all of these amazing people the entire way.

'Unbreakable: The Western States 100' follows the four lead men on this amazing journey. Hal Koerner, two time defending Western States champion, and running store entrepreneur from Ashland, Oregon. Geoff Roes, undefeated at the 100-mile distance, an organic chef from Juneau, Alaska. Anton Krupicka, undefeated in every ultramarathon he has ever started, a graduate student living in Boulder, Colorado. Kilian Jornet, the young mountain runner and two time Ultra-trail du Mont-Blanc champion, from Spain.

Anton Krupicka (Tony)

Every runner in this movie was inspirational and heroic in their own way, but of course I had my favorite.  I instantly loved Anton Krupicka, or Tony, the hippie dude from Boulder with long hair and a lanky body.  Him and his girlfriend are such a cool runner couple.  She's a law student and he is a smarty pants in graduate school studying some crazy science.

I rooted for Tony the entire way.  Many of you already know who won the WS100 in 2010 but I won't give it away in case you don't know.    I will say, Tony kicked ass.  I would really like to hunt him down and make him be my friend.  He is that cool.  He writes a seriously fascinating blog called, Riding the Wind, and also writes for Running Times.

I was also intrigued by Kilian, from Spain.  His story is incredible!  He grew up in the Pyrenees Catalan and his mother used to make him find his way around the mountains in the complete dark.  She thought it was important for him to learn how to get out of difficult situations.  Kilian was running the mountains at a very young age.  The way he glides uphill during the WS100 and drinks straight from the stream makes it pretty obvious that he grew up doing this sort of thing.  There is something animalistic and beautiful about the way he runs. 

Scott Jurek made a few appearances which of course got me all excited.  I wish he was running the race, but seeing his face a few times was good enough.  Apparently he is buds with my soon-to-be best friend, Tony.  It doesn't surprise me -- they seem to have a lot in common. 

I couldn't help but notice how healthy everyone ate in this film.  It showed all of the runners loading up on greens and vegetables and I only saw one of the runners eating meat.  I was impressed.  No pizza and cheeseburgers for these guys.  So of course, I sauteed some kale, collard greens, swiss chard and tofu after watching the movie because I want to be great like them.  It's totally possible, you know.  ;-)

I am so ready to hit the trails this weekend after watching this movie.  We already planned a run in Los Penasquitos Canyon for my long run day and I can't wait.  I'll channel Tony on my run and hope for some speed and strength up those big hills. 

Order your copy of Unreakable at:  http://www.ws100film.com/



Best Running Vacation Ever!

So, this is a really long post. I have a habit of wanting to remember every single detail from everywhere I go and my memory is about as good as a squirrel’s, on a good day, so I need to write it all out.  I have been to San Francisco 3 times but every visit provides even better memories!

***

We bid farewell to our favorite city, San Francisco. I am writing this from the passenger seat of Angela’s little Chevy as we drive all the way back to San Diego. [UPDATE: It took a whopping 12 hours to get home due to traffic!]  We are going to stop at a 24 Hour Fitness to go for a run because we’ve been stuck in this car all day. Traffic was horrendous – way worse than anticipated. We need to get out and stretch our legs … and burn off some of the 5 lbs of candy we’ve eaten on this road trip.

Where do I begin with our perfect running mini-vacation?  Every single day involved exploration, running, and plenty of eating.

We spent Thursday night in Carmel, which is about 45 minutes north of Big Sur and 2 ½ hours south of San Francisco. It took us over 8 hours to get there so we were ready to sleep the instant we arrived at our hotel at 10pm. We showered and snuggled into our fancy robes and before long we were fast asleep in our luxurious king size bed, our heads happy on their fluffy pillows and our bodies thankful for the expensive mattress.

The next morning we took our first run in Monterey Bay after breakfast. I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so beautiful. We got extremely lucky with the trail we chose (the Pacific Grove Coastal Recreation Trail) as it was all crushed gravel along the bay and the ocean. We probably stopped 10 times to soak in the view and take a few pictures. When I run somewhere that beautiful I can’t stop smiling. I occasionally leap like a child and scream with excitement when something really astounding comes into view, like the whale that a nice couple pointed out to us. It was incredible and we almost missed it.

We were so at peace out there surrounded by the ocean and the colorful plants. The trails were far from crowded, allowing us to feel like it was just us at times. We walked down to a private little beach area and breathed it all in.

Monterey is quaint and peaceful with no shortage of charming coffee shops and cafes. The kind of place I’d love to retire.

We headed up to San Francisco after our run in Monterey Bay. We rented a super chic apartment in the Mission District, adjacent to Dolores Park and just a couple blocks from the Castro. The location was perfect and the apartment was what I hope to one day attain. Our San Francisco run was from Crissy Field over the Golden Gate Bridge and back. This route is chock full of runners and dogs. I was shocked at how many people run with their dogs off of leashes. I’ve never seen such happy pups! San Francisco dogs are probably some of the fittest dogs out there. Even the old labs were chasing after their owners at a faster pace than the two of us. I was very impressed.

Later that night, we went ice-skating down at the Embarcadero and I only fell once.  It was pretty darn romantic, if I do say so myself. 

Although I’ve been to San Francisco before, I’d never gone out of the way to visit Muir Woods, until now. We decided to hit up the trails on Christmas day. I am so glad we finally did. The size of the trees makes you feel so tiny and insignificant. I’ve never seen anything so large and it blew my mind. We quietly took it all in and did a nice little hike through the trees.

Christmas night involved take-out thai and finally some lazy time on the couch watching Sex and the City and playing games.

It was a quick trip but we packed it full of so much fun and we soaked up so many beautiful sights that it truly felt like a vacation. Our last run will be on treadmills side-by-side at a random gym along the way home, not nearly as exciting as our other running adventures.

While we missed our families back in Illinois, it was so nice to be in our favorite city on Christmas. San Francisco feels like home and hopefully one day, in the distant future, it will be.

California Running

I have had some pretty memorable holiday runs these last few years in San Diego.  This will be our third holiday season in southern California, but we’ll be spending it up in northern California.  Since I’m marathon training we will be running a lot, making more beautiful, holiday running memories.

We take off for our coastal road trip extraordinaire this Thursday! We will start our journey by passing through LA, up past Santa Barbara and toward Big Sur, one of the most beautiful places on earth, I hear. We’re spending the night in Carmel.

BEAUTIFUL BIG SUR - Seriously? What is more gorgeous than this?

Friday we will head up to San Francisco, after a run in Big Sur. We rented an adorable apartment in the Mission/Castro of San Francisco. We love the area and I have a feeling I won’t want to leave after our 3 ½ days there.

San Francisco feels like home to me. I love it. Adore it. Sometimes I wish I lived there, but then I’m reminded that it’s cold and foggy and I think again. It just feels so alive and progressive, like big things are happening on a daily basis. I love the energy and the people. I love that it’s a big city yet it remains charming and cozy. What is not to love about San Francisco? I guess the cold summers, rain and fog.  But even so, it’s a magical place.

I can't wait to hug one of these trees!

Where are you spending the holidays?

Will you be making new running memories?

I’ll run through the redwoods for the first time, and on the jagged coast in Big Sur. It doesn’t get much better than that!



Trail Running in Paradise

I know I say it often, and I'll say it again, I live in a runner's paradise.  I really do.  I own a treadmill and I will admit to running on it during my weekday runs simply because it is winter which means it's dark and cold (59 degrees at night - freezing cold by my wimpy standards).

But when I have a chance to run in the daylight, the possibilities are endless.  I got out of work at noon on Friday and met Ang at Torrey Pines for a 7 mile, hilly, twisty trail run on some gorgeous cliffs overlooking the ocean.

This is a cell phone picture.  It doesn't do justice.

The soft surface mixed with the hills and the constant turning and changing of directions makes for such a challenging workout.  When you're finished you feel accomplished and you know that run made you stronger.  I love that feeling.

The next day we went on yet another hilly, challenging trail run.  We finished feeling exalted!  Angela and I may be the sappiest, cheesiest couple ever.  We are constantly talking about how wonderful and beautiful life is and how lucky we are to enjoy this gorgeous place that is San Diego and how great it is that we have each other to run with and share this experience with.  To summarize, you'd probably be so annoyed by our incessant joyful chatter.   But running does that to you, right?   It just feels so good that you can't help but to say positive things and think happy thoughts.  Am I right?

The best running surface...

Maybe I've been injured for too long and I am just way too happy to be back in training mode, but running is truly like a drug.  Anyone that says there is no such thing as a runner's high needs to go on a run with me.

Running helps us to see the beauty and wonder in everything around us.  Last night Angela and I saw the most stunning, hot pink and purple sunset, which we would have missed if we weren't out running.  Being a runner allows me to spend hours at a time taking in ocean views and and beautiful trails.  I get to see the smiling faces of other runners out doing the same thing with their spare time.  We share a common bond.   We should be grateful for this and I think we should all realize how wonderful it is to be a runner.  It's a gift.  

****

IN OTHER RUNNING NEWS....

I pre-ordered Unbreakable, the movie about some of the incredible people that run the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, the oldest and most prestigious 100-mile footrace in the world.  You'll see some familiar names, like my favorite, Jenn Shelton, featured in 'Born to Run'.  Click here to watch a trailer.  You just may be whipping out your credit card too.  It instantly gave me chills.  I am hoping my copy arrives before Christmas so Ang and I can have a special, holiday viewing party.  I really wish all of you lived nearby and we could have a big Unbreakable Party!

I will write a review once I watch it.  Happy trails!

The Long Run: How Long is Too Long?

I'm marathon training again and it feels so good!  I am nervous to type these words because I am terrified of jynxing myself.  I am only halfway through Week 1 of Boston training but I am so excited.  After dealing with my Tendinitis issues and then medical issues, I am so ready to be back in the swing of things.  Running feels so great and I've been pain-free!  Crossing my fingers and toes that doesn't change.

I love how mathematical my training plan is -- thank you Mr. Jack Daniels!  Math makes sense to me and I enjoy that everything is specific to my paces. 

One aspect of my training plan that is different from other programs I've used is that most runs are followed by (8) 20-second strides.  This is supposed to help with turnover, speed and form.  It is such a great way to end a run.  I also noticed that some of my long runs involve intervals of MP (Marathon Pace).  I used to try to incorporate similar intervals in past training so I like that it is officially on my plan with specific paces and mileage. 

The man behind the math

The greatest difference from prior plans is a shorter long run distance.  I am not scheduled to run a 20 miler at all before the marathon.  My last plan called for 3 or 4 20-milers. 

I remember a fantastic 20-miler I had during Chicago Marathon training.  I felt completely ready for the marathon, but it was still months away.  Sure enough, within the next month I was injured and that grand feeling was completely dismantled.  It wasn't the 20 miler's fault.  But maybe if I didn't do quite so many long, long runs I could've avoided injury.  Jack Daniels actually has a very interesting video on why there is no need to run quite so long during marathon training. 


Watch more video of Saucony Thirsty Thursdays with Jack Daniels on flotrack.org


Jack Daniels believes long runs shouldn't last more than 2 1/2 hours.  For faster runners, this works out great because they can still get a lot of miles in.  For slower runners, this reduces the risk of injury but doesn't allow as many miles. 

I, personally, like to run 20 miles at least once or twice during marathon training, simply because it gives me confidence. 

How long are your long runs during marathon training?

How long is too long?

For more info on the Run S.M.A.R.T. Project click here.

Ryan Hall's Old Stomping Grounds

I played in the snow this weekend. 

That is something I thought I might never do again since moving to San Diego.  5 of our friends, Angela, and I spent the weekend in a cozy cabin, 7,000 feet above sea level, in Big Bear.  We had a fireplace, a hot tub and plenty of wine and hot cocoa to help us endure the cold temps that our bodies aren't accustomed to.

I had my first snowboarding experience too!  It may also be my last.  Those huge puffy pants and awkward boots are definitely not flattering and neither is my face when it's red, puffy and snotty.  Any sport that requires THAT much gear and preparation is not a good match for a lazy person like me.  Strapping my feet into those bindings one time was enough.  The fact that I had to un-strap and re-strap those suckers all day was not doing it for me.  I kept comparing snowboarding to running and the fact that running only requires shoes.  You just lace 'em up and go!  If you're a barefoot runner, you just go!  Snowboarding is an ordeal.  That's the best way I can put it.  I was so ready for a warm alcoholic beverage after a day on the slopes.

Where's Waldo?

Numbing the pain of snowboarding...

I learned that Ryan Hall grew up in Big Bear.  No wonder he is an incredible runner!  With that elevation and those hills you're destined to be great if you train there.  It is truly a fantastic place for runners.  Angela and I enjoyed a 6+ mile run before leaving and the views were breathtaking.  We're usually in awe of the ocean as we run, but running in Big Bear gave us a chance to appreciate the beauty of the snow-topped mountains.  It was a challenging run, but a worthwhile one.  I am so grateful that Ang dragged my hungover butt out the door to see the lake and mountains. 

Running in Ryan Hall's footsteps :)

I enjoyed the snow for a couple of days but returning home to a beach town feels so right. 

***

Today is "Week 1" of Boston Marathon training.  18 weeks, everybody!  I have a personalized plan for this training cycle to avoid injury and do my absolute best.  Jack Daniels started something called the Run S.M.A.R.T. Project and they offer coaching, training plans and training camps.  I paid $60 for an 18-week individualized plan and e-mail support from a running coach.  I e-mailed my coach ahead of time and explained my recent injuries and running history.  With that information he was able to ease me into long runs and adjust accordingly.  If at any time my plan needs to be tweaked, he will take care of it.

I have studied my plan like there will be a test and I have to say, I love it!  It looks great and I am excited to get started.  

Who else starts training this week?  What type of plan are you following?