Author / Mike

by Mike

Just Beet It!

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This is an interesting read from Runner’s World: In Beet Juice We Believe.  I read it last week and almost immediately added beets to my lunch bag.  I’m probably not getting the full benefit since I’m going with canned and pickled beets out of laziness convenience.  Still, they’re low calorie and tasty, although it seems people either love them or hate them.  A student of mine was appalled that I sat at my desk eating beets directly from a can.  Another proclaimed that she loved beets and then the class disintegrated  went into a discussion of foods we love and hate.  8th graders love getting their teachers off topic!

Proper diet has been the most difficult aspect of running culture to take on.  Since starting training for my first marathon back in May, it seems like I am constantly hungry.  I bring a bag full of food (my lunch does not seem to make it past 10AM) to school and still manage to make frequent trips to the Conference’ Room to scrounge for any leftover treats.  I may have to lay this on my coworkers next time we’re eating together:

I think the hunger is a good sign that my metabolism is running high and rather than big sit down meals (Breakfast Runs aside), I’m more a grazer now.  I also should cut down on the adult libations, but it sure is a great feeling to finish off a good run with a cocktail! Problem is that if I dropped 15 pounds or so, my running performance would get a serious boost.  Additionally, I think some of the aches and pains I’ve been getting my knee (IT band?) would be less.  Not an easy task, but at some point after the Holidays soon I’ll get on the Runners Diet bandwagon.

See you on the road!

by Mike

Weekend Almost Here!

I’m so ready for the weekend and looking forward to another breakfast run.  My goal for tomorrow is for us to really get up with the sun and hit a 6 or 7 AM spot for breakfast.  Has been a little more chilly for runs this week (high 30s-low 40s).  Last weekend I made a surprise trip to CABELA’S in Scarborough and found that they have a nice collection of ICEBREAKER apparell for sale.  I picked up a short-sleeved wool shirt along with some long underwear.

My most recent runs have a been a varied collection of wool items: Smartwool hat, Ibex glove-liners, PEP shirt, and Icebreaker long underwear (in lieu of synthetic tights).  Felt really comfortable for the entire run…

Well, gotta pay the bills…See you on the road!

by Mike

Race Review: Saint Brigid School Harvest Hustle 5k (????)

I’m sentimental for this race for a couple of reasons: 1) This is part of the annual Harvest Fair Fundraiser at Saint Brigid School where I teach and our daughter, Addie, attends, and 2) This was the first race (last year) in my current running journey.  I also had a small part in the race organization as the person in charge of ordering and delivering the race T-shirts.  Fortunately, I was able to get the shirts printed and delivered ahead of time thanks to the great folks, Tony and Jennifer Balzano, at Hanging By A Thread.

After a great couple of weeks to start my training for the 2016 Austin Marathon in February, I was convinced that I would achieve a PR in this race.  Additionally, this was the first 5k in a while that I would be able to have a rest day before the race (my last PR had an 8 mile run the day before and a morning run prior to the evening race).  Things turned out that Friday night lasted a little longer than expected.  Katie and I were invited to an 80s themed birthday party at Bubba’s Sulky Lounge (that place would make for an interesting Breakfast Night Out Run Review…It was great, but upon entering I first felt like I was in the scene of True Detective Season One at the Biker Bar).  Katie really got into the spirit of the party with some 80s style Big Hair:

Hoping Katie doesn’t mind this look on the blog!

One thing led to another and I did not exactly have the recommended pre-race evening intake of hydration and healthy food.  Rather, I was up past midnight and enjoyed too much a couple of adult libations.

Fortunately, I was miraculously up with the sun in time to hydrate, have a breakfast snack, and run a 1.5 mile warm-up to the start line (this is one of the most shocking changes for me since running this race a year ago.  Last year I was sure not to waste a single step running during warm-ups in fear that it would cause me not to finish the race).

It looked like there was a decent turnout for the race and we had fun watching the Kids  Childrens (kids are baby goats!  Does that sound snobby; I don’t know) Fun Run prior to the start (disappointingly the total race turnout was around 50 runners).  Earlier this week, I did scouting run on the course which would be 5K on Baxter Boulevard.  We’ve run the Boulevard many times, but I wanted to get another look at it in order to plan a PR strategy.  My goal was a sub 23 minute race, so my pace would have to be around 7:24 per mile.  I planned to run a 7:30 first mile with 7:20 the last 2.1 miles.  I did some further pre-race cheatin’ preparation with a Gu (I can hear the “real” runners’ groans) and a (gasp!) Red Bull.  I feel like the 5k race is about an energy burst, so I wanted as some excess in the tank for a fast (for me at least) pace.

A few minutes before race time it was time to shed the warm-up gear (no wool needed today since the temperature was near 60 degrees) and pin on my bib (even for this race my hands were shaking…still get nervous for races!)

Getting ready to run the Harvest Hustle!

As Katie previously posted, our daughter, Addie, was in this race also with Katie.  It was fun to have them there and would later be exciting to cheer Addie on at the finish!

So, as I’m heading to the start line, the Race Director informed us that the race would be the full Boulevard (3.6 miles).  Ugh!!!  What!  My thoughts were now that even if I hit a 5K PR it wouldn’t count!  WTF! (What the Frak!…any BSG fans out there?).  Most of the racers were students from Saint Brigid (I’m so impressed with many of the 9-12 year olds who ran this race with awesome times…a 12 year old won it with a sub 7:00 per mile pace!) who didn’t pay attention to were unfazed by the announcement, but the adults groaned knowing an extra half mile had been snuck in there!  At any other race this would have caused a riot an uproar, but everyone seemed to take it in stride.  After some encouraging words from our Principal, Bill Burke, we started the race!

The pace started fast.  Many of the students shot out at a full sprint not really comprehending how long 5K is.  I had my sights set on beating matching a couple of middle school students that I teach, but they set out at a sub 7:00 pace.  I was drawn in for a quarter mile, but I managed to pull it back before I totally flamed out.  at the 1/2 mile mark I found a runner to pace off of.  She was definitely experienced (turns out she has run many races and is a parent of a former student of mine) since she was maintaining a 7:10-7:15 pace, and at her heels, I managed a 7:09 first mile.  Shortly after, I passed my competition students (I feel bad because I think they were a bit upset that I passed them and they expended too much energy early on and finished well below their potential times; still, they had impressive times).

Just around mile 2 of the Boulevard there is a slight incline.  In prior races and training runs, I have been able to turn it on here and pass other racers (Katie sometimes jokingly I think calls me the “Hill Killer”).  I had been pacing off of my “rabbit” and was convinced I would pass her at this point.  I made two moves and each time she picked it up to stay in front.  Just couldn’t muster enough to pass her.  I think she was just toying with me, because it turns out she was staying just behind her son (12 years old) and husband for the race.  Try as I might, I was not able to catch them (they finished about 15 seconds ahead of me in the end).

The biggest disappointment from this race is that at the 5K mark, my TOMTOM Runner GPS Watch had me at a 7:20 per mile pace which would have been my PR, BUT (!) I still had to run another half fraking (BSG again) mile! I gutted it out, but still watched my average pace time climb.  I was happy that no other runners passed me during the home stretch (usually a horde seems to pass my burnt out, slow ass  me by at the finish).  I finished the 3.6 mile course in 26:26.  Turns out this was a PR time which is very exciting, but I won’t officially count it until I achieve it in an official 5K race.  Looks like I’ll have to wait for our race in December, the 6th Annual Portland Brewer’s Holiday Dash 5K hosted by Ri Ra Irish Pub.

It was a great day despite the last minute distance change.  I hit a PR, came in 8th overall (first top 10 finish ever), and most importantly, it was great to run the final stretch with Addie as she completed her first 5K ever!

I’m hopeful this race will continue with some improved organization.  It is for a great cause (and my employment!) and Portland is a great venue for a race.  Many people are hoping the race can move back to our neighborhood (that’s another story) where the turnout will have an increase.  Maybe we’ll have to take a shot at being Race Directors for 2016…

See you on the road!

by Mike

Bread Run! Big Sky Bread Company

The day after our trip down Memory Lane to the Mid-Coast, we decided to stay close to home.  During most training weeks, the longest run of the week is scheduled for Sunday, but Saturday’s 10 mile jaunt through Camden-Rockport took care of that.  On the drive home home, Katie and I decided that this week’s football food would be a Fall favorite, Thanksgiving Turkey sandwiches.  There are many variations of this classic, but ours were going to be the basic turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, aruglua (OK, a little fancy, I’m an iceberg guy, Katie needs a little more class in her sandwiches), and mayo (in hindsight, I forgot to include gravy, but we’ll have some homemade gravy for the day after Thanksgiving version).  Besides quality turkey, the key ingredient to this heavenly sandwich concoction is the bread.  Without hesitation, we decided that Big Sky Bread Company located in our neighborhood across the street from Bayou Kitchen and Abilene (a recent Breakfast Run).

Big  Sky is located in a really cool converted Fire House building in Woodford’s corner.  I love the businesses that choose to rehab old structures.  It maintains the character of the neighborhood and those buildings are irreplaceable.

The main Big Sky Bakery located in this beautiful building at Woodford’s Corner.

Sunday was damp and chilly, so after a slow four miles (still was sore from Saturday), the warmth amazing aroma of the bakery was a fantastic feeling after the run.  Besides their organic Maine bread, Big Sky has offers a coffee, sandwiches and other baked deliciousness.  They always provide generous free samples of bread and other treats.  I was tempted to enjoy a coffee or hot chocolate, but decided not to since my hands would be full for the walk home.  Instead, I went straight to the bread racks and selected a loaf each for the Old Fashioned White and Honey Wheat.  

Each loaf was $4.50, which seems to be priced just right or could even be called a bargain.  These are not your typical grocery store loaves of Wonder Bread (although I have to confess that sometimes nothing beats a PB&J on squishy white bread, especially when the J is Katie’s homemade strawberry jam).  Big Sky’s bread is over-sized loaves that you can imagine flowing over the bread pan as they were baked.  It has nice weight to it and the slices have perfectly sized holes you picture in classic sliced bread.

My favorite Big Sky loaf is the Old Fashioned White.  In fact, that bread toasted with butter and cinnamon is glorious.  I went with the Old Fashioned for my Thanksgiving sandwich and was not disappointed.  Later in the week I brought a boring traditional turkey with lettuce and mayo sandwich to work and it was the best most delicious part of my workday.

It was kind of fun making the walk back to the house with a loaf of bread swinging from each hand while still in my running gear (BTW, my PEP shirt was magical once again and stayed warm in the damp conditions even after cooling down before the walk home).

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The Loaves and the Ultras!

On this trip I signed on for Big Sky’s frequent loaf buyer punch card.  Looking forward to making our way to that 13th loaf being free!  We’ll have to plan a Breakfast Run here soon, so that we can post a full review.  For now the bottom line is that Big Sky is the best thing since sliced bread an awesome bakery and cafe stop!

See you on the road!

by Mike

Second Marathon Training Has Begun!!!!

This week I started training for my second marathon.  Decided to stick with Runkeeper use the Sub 3:45 plan.  Breaking four hours was a great feeling for my first race, now I am hoping to have a sub 9:00 min/mile pace.  I also want to avoid the near breakdowns I had after 20 miles (hamstrings tightening; having to walk much of mile 26).  Hoping to include some core and strength training to improve my overall running performance.  Still haven’t figured out when I’ll work in the extra work outs; I’ll have to re-prioritize some weekly TV watching events to make it happen.

Feels good to have structure to the week rather than just going out and winging it while running.  So far runs have been four and five miles at an easy pace.  I am scheduled for an 8 miler this weekend which I’m planning to do on this weekend’s Breakfast run.  I only missed two workouts during preparation for my first marathon, but I did make up for those with some extra runs.  I’m hoping that during the winter months I will be able to stay on track with the program.  Only having 4-5 days of training per week helps since it provides some flexibility for making up missed training.

Yesterday, the temperature was near 70 degrees for the 5 miler I ran in the afternoon.  That likely will be the last run I get to do in shorts and a T-shirt for a while (excluding potential treadmill torture workouts during extreme weather).

Weekend is almost here!

by Mike

Speaking of Wool Running Gear: Get DARN TOUGH!

If you want the best running socks hands down, get your feet in some DARN TOUGH Vermont Socks.  Since switching to these last February (first wool socks ever for me), I have not had cold feet or a blister yet!  In fact, I’ve dumped all cotton footwear from my dresser and wearing Darn Toughs exclusively every day (running or not).  My feet are grateful!

My first pair of Darn Toughs. Still going strong after 700 miles or so and daily wear at work.

Bought this pair for the Maine Marathon. Sore feet were not an issue thanks to the cushioning! Also have another pair that I used all summer long.

Just bought these a couple of weeks ago. Now my everyday non-running sock. No more sweaty, stinky feet at work. Helps keep my feet energized for after work runs!

by Mike

Wow! A one week review of the PEP Shevlin+

Last week my Pettet Endurance Project Shevlin+ wool running shirt arrived in the mail!  It was exciting to see the package, but I was even more impressed when I opened to the packaging inside the mailing envelope:

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I loved the gift wrap and it was very cool to have a personal note from one of the PEP representatives.  Even before seeing the shirt I was so impressed with PEP and their vision.  They are committed to using a renewable resource (merino wool) in order to enhance the running experience.  They have a plan to keep their prices low ($60 for a 97% high quality shirt is a bargain and a half!), produce in the USA, and contribute back to the environment.

The shirt itself is better than advertised.  I am glad that I went with the Shevlin+ rather than the basic Shevlin.  The + has heavier fabric which will provide more warmth in the coming months (“Winter is coming”).  Plus I just like the feel of a heavier shirt.  The fit is perfect being snug across my chest and a bit loose towards my waist.  When I first put the shirt on I was a bit surprised how low the neck went and was puzzled that the thumb holes seemed tough to get into.  Oops! I had the shirt on backwards.  Turns out that the small PEP logo is on you back.  Once I put the shirt on correctly, it was a perfect fit. Most importantly, I have found the ITCHYNESS factor to be almost zero.  I noticed a bit of itch during my first run when some heat started radiating from my torso, but it was gone within moments.  This amazes me with a shirt that is 95% Merino Wool. So far I have worn the Shevlin+ for runs in temps from 27 degrees (this morningd!) to the the mid 40s.  For all of the runs I have had my Saucony windbreaker on top (the reason to follow).  Cold has been a non factor and at the same time I have not been close to overheating.  The shirt has been very comfortable and it will probably all but displace my Nike DriFit Wool shirt (I like it but have some issues with the neck area) for cold weather running.

I am looking forward to trying a run without a top layer above my Shevlin+, but the black color option was not a good choice because I currently only have black running tights.  Without a top layer this is the effect:

I don’t want people to think they’re watching a public performance of modern dance during my runs, so it looks like a purchase of non-black bottoms is in order at some point.

I will provide some more insights on the Shevlin+ as I accumulate more miles in it. Will review my Nike DriFit soon as well.

See you on the road!

================================

Katie had a better comparison of my all black attire:

by Mike

Breakfast Run: Abilene

Decided to stick closer to home after a morning 6 Miler.  I didn’t feel like I’d be up to a couple miles with a belly full of breakfast this morning and I also had a craving for one of my favorite dishes at Bayou Kitchen (right next door to Abilene).  Turned out that Bayou had 30 minute wait, so we decided to try the new place on the block.

I love having good eats being a short walk from our house.  We can enjoy the walk there and back on beautiful days or not have to worry about driving after enjoying some adult libations.  Country living does have an appeal, but certainly city convenience has its advantages.

I’m still trying to figure out why this place is called Abilene.  The food and setting didn’t make me think of Texas at all.  It’s a unique name and maybe it has significance to the owners.  The menu had about a dozen tasty sounding brunch options for this Saturday morning.  Reminded me a bit of Union from last week, but not quite as upscale.

The breakfast sandwich sounded very appetizing, but I am a sucker for Biscuits and Sausage Gravy.  I remember my first sausage gray experience.  It was in Basic Training in Fort Benning, Georgia.  In the chow line gobs of this strange white slime with brown chunks was being slopped onto our trays.  I was horrified!  I didn’t actually dare to eat this staple of Army cooking for at least a month until one day I was so hungry from training that I would have eaten my boots.  Turned out that Sausage Gravy was amazing.  During my time in the South (Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas) I hit every Shoney’s, Denny’s, Waffle House, Huddle House and local road house and was sure to order their biscuits and gravy (along with Grits, which I prefer with butter and syrup).  Talk about a serious comfort food!  Our move back to the northeast mostly put an end to my Sausage Gravy days, but it seems to be making an appearance on some local menus in recent months.  So far there have been some unique recipes, but I still think you have to go south of the Mason-Dixon line for authentic biscuits and gravy.  Here was Abilene’s:

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OK, that’s scary looking not the most appetizing image, but the gravy did have good flavor and consistency (not too salty or greasy) and the biscuit was good. One disappointment was that for $9.00, a couple of eggs would have been a nice addition.  I enjoyed my meal, but did not feel totally satisfied.  I did try a few bites of my son’s French toast and that was fantastic!

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Also, I had a Bloody Mary to start the meal and it was great.  Last week’s smoky version at Union was a bit of a turn-off, but Abilene’s version had a nice bit of heat and a healthy dose of vodka.  There were also plentiful olives and pickled peppers that added to the flavor.

Abilene is a nice compliment to Bayou Kitchen next door.  Bayou is still a better choice, but I’m ready to give Abilene another shot as part of a Breakfast or Happy Hour Run.

by Mike

Happy Hour Run!!! : Bonobo (Pizza)

No glorious and wonderful before the sun Breakfast Run this time, but rather a Happy Hour Run!  We were looking to hit Miyake after a quick 5k Friday night run, but the 30 minute seating wait scared us off.  Around the corner and up a couple blocks was Bonobo which we had meant to hit for several years ever since one of our oldest son’s friend had been fired from there (that’s another story).

For the last few years, the Portland pizza scene has been dominated by Otto Pizza after taking the throne from the Flatbread Pizza.  Walk into Bonobo and it has a simple atmosphere with the sophisticated West End crowd.  I was sold on Bonobo after seeing the simple menu of a couple of salad offerings with a wide-array of beautiful “around 13 inch” pizza offerings.

When going to a pizza place for the first time, I like to try a simple offering such as cheese or a Margerhita offering with just a sprinkling of cheese and sauce.  Bonobo’s crust  has that brick oven flavor and the cheese and sauce had that fresh taste to it….Katie was looking for a more sophisticated taste with an arugula, goat cheese concoction, so we decided to split our pizza…

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Luckily the Bonobo servers were glad to provide that option along with a nice array of red and white wines and some nice draft options.  I initially went for the “Not Your Father’s Rootbeer” which was a change, but too sweet for this Jameson palate.

In all, Bonobo had great pizza, great service, and a great atmosphere.  The brick oven provided some welcome warmth after a quick evening run, and the cliental were some great folks from Portland’s West End.

Even though she was complained about some of my city running habits tonight…she’s always a SEXY runner:

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by Mike

The TOMTOM Runner

My purchase of the TOMTOM runner came out of necessity.  Back in August, Katie surprised me with a gift of a Polar M400 for hitting the 1,000 mile mark for this year.  My first experience with a GPS watch was fantastic.  I had been relying on Runkeeper from my Iphone to give distance and pace updates.  This was great especially since I was still in headphones mode for all of my runs.  Additionally, I liked having runs instantly tracked on Runkeeper.  However, as I transitioned deeper into marathon preparation, I discovered the joy of running without headphones which made a GPS watch essential to feed my craving for stats.

The M400 worked great.  I found that it was right on with distance and it had cool features like split times.  I liked the M400 app, but it was frustrating to manually upload from the Polar app to Runkeeper. I have invested so many miles in Runkeeper that it is difficult for me to make a switch to another tracking app.  Problems came a couple weeks before the Maine Marathon when my M400 stopped charging.  I suspect the charging port became corroded due to sweat and moisture leaking into it.  Whatever the cause, there was not enough time to deal with warranty stuff and there was no way I was running the marathon without knowing my pace.

Katie and I headed out to Best Buy for another Polar.  While there, the Applewatch caught my eye…

Despite the $350 price tag, this seemed to be the perfect fit.  Linked directly to my iphone and Runkeeper.  Plus it is a cool piece of technology bling to flash around town. Unfortunately, my Apple Watch experience was a disappointment.  I did not like having to have my phone with me for runs in order for the GPS to work and on a couple of trial runs the watch kept pausing mid-run.  Maybe I should’ve given it more time, but for $350 I wanted my run tracking to be accurate and easy to use.  Apple watch has many other cool features, but run tracking is my main purpose and that had to be perfect.

So we loaded back into the VW Microbus(Thanksgiving is on my mind) our Honda and headed back to Best Buy.  I checked out the Fitbit Surge and a couple of other brands (I’m forgetting now), but in the end, my $100 was spent on this:

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The TOMTOM Runner is the lowest model of TOMTOM’s GPS watches.  The other models have bells and whistles like a heart rate monitors and swim tracking ability.  The Runner model has turned out to be a perfect fit.  Its charge lasts long,  the GPS has been very accurate,  it shows splits, and is very it also has many ways to customize its display for my use.  Best of all, TOMTOM automatically uploads to Runkeeper.  I aslo like that the charging port seems like it will hold up better to moisture than the M400.  It’s still less than a month, but time will tell.

The TOMTOM is a great entry level GPS watch.  It’s easy to figure out and has simple inputs for runners just looking for basic stats.  I suppose at some point I may just run for pure enjoyment and not care about the stats graduate to a more advanced watch, but for now the TOMTOM Runner works well for me.