Some New Equipment

It is time once again for some new equipment.  As a runner I have to say I love new equipment.  I have been putting off for too long replacing my shoes and once again I found myself nearing the 500 mile mark and starting to feel the strange pains brought on by very tired shoes.


I knew it was time for new shoes, but also knew that both of my daughters were in need of new shoes and I just couldn't bring myself to buy myself a new pair before I first took care of them. (I have so much to say about my two daughters and track, but I have to save that for another long overdue post)  We finally took care of their needs and so I started looking frantically for my next pair of shoes.  My shoes have been discontinued by New Balance, but I am really happy so I really wanted to stick with the same pair if I could.  Everyone was sold out, but I luckily found my model in my size on clearance at New Balance Web Express.  The next time I am in the market I will need to change shoes..... oh the horror!

I went out today with my oldest daughter Ashlee in my new shoes..... oh how nice to run in new shoes :)  I also took my new watch for one last test drive before telling you about it.

I was sent a Timex Ironman Race Trainer and had some trouble giving it a good "run" before now.  I got out and ran without too much issue during this cold winter we had, but with the brutal cold the last thing on my mind was trying anything new.

This heart rate monitor is for passionate athletes in training. It's technologically advanced, but super easy to use. The Race Trainer boasts a 10-workout memory that saves workouts with date and time, as well as a 50-lap chronograph. It captures a variety of useful fitness info including peak/avg heart rate and calories burned, and users can wirelessly download their workout results to their computers and keep customized training journals, if desired. The product includes a wristwatch, heart rate chest sensor and USB device for the downloadable function. Available in two men’s and two women’s styles.

When I first took it out of the box I have to admit I was a little bit overwhelmed.  I have a bit of a short attention span when it comes to setting up new equipment like this.  I just want to get out the door and start trying it out.  It took me about 15 minutes to read through the basic setup instructions and get it connected to the heart rate strap.  This wasn't any worse or better than the last heart rate monitor watch I had when I set it up.

Once I had the chance to go running with it I did notice it was very easy to connect with the heart rate strap.  I cannot say the same for the previous heart rate monitor watch that I had.  It is very comfortable to wear, and I don't even notice the strap once I get running.  The watch is easy to use while on the road running, but I don't find myself doing too much analyzing or adjusting while on the run..... with any watch.

It took me a few minutes to figure out how to read the results when I got back from my run, but once I figured it out it really wasn't bad.  This watch has a lot to offer as far as stats, but I don't use too much other than the basics.  I really was bummed when I found that I wasn't going to be able to give this watch a complete review.  When I took everything out of the box the USB Connector was missing.  This means that all I could test and use was the watch itself, and couldn't connect it to my computer or test any of the functionality with the software.

All in all I found this watch easy to use, comfortable, and easily living up to the Timex name.  I would recommend it for anybody that wanted a watch without GPS capability...... but for me, I really have grown spoiled with running with GPS capability and the freedom that gives.  There are times when I don't need the GPS capability and for those times this will most certainly be my go to watch.

In my package I was also given the opportunity to try out some products that I really didn't know existed.  I have heard of EAS products, but really only thought of them with their ready to mix protein shakes and nothing more.  I was sent the EAS Myoplex Nutrition Shake.  This was a ready to drink shake and was very convenient and tasty.  The flavor I was sent (Banana Cream) would not be one I would ever buy, but was actually very good and smooth.  The other EAS product was one that I would buy again without any hesitation.  It was the EAS Myoplex Nutrition Bar, and a very yummy Chocolate Mint flavor.  Both of these products brought a lot of protein and didn't lack in flavor to bring the protein.  I have tried a lot of protein products over the years and many of them are just down right disgusting..... not these products from EAS.

Now that the new equipment testing is over it is now time for me to go back to the hum-drum routine and get some miles in....... the best running weather (in my opinion) is right around the corner! :)

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com - subscribe - follow blog - virtual4now

Running The Reagan, After The Race

The Run The Reagan was still ran today and was a great race. The race was delayed 4 hours due to the 4 inches of snow that was dumped on us last night, but somehow the Reagan was clear enough to run on even though all the other roads around were an absolute mess.

As I mention in my post yesterday I didn't run it, but I did volunteer and enjoyed it. It was very cold and very windy (for those of us that were not running it) but we were able to hang in there. Everyone seemed to enjoy running it and the first place 1/2 marathon finisher mentioned to the Gwinnett Daily Post writer that there were only slick spots in a few places, but the rest was clear.

After finishing up with volunteering I came home and got my one daughter and we went back up and ran 4 miles on the still closed Parkway. While we were running we were coming up behind the final two walkers in the 1/2 marathon. There was an ambulance hovering behind them, and as we passed them the ambulance turned on "Free Falling" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on the loud speakers. It was very cool running on the Reagan Parkway since it is a no pedestrian road normally.... except for this one day, it made it even cooler having it pretty much all to ourselves with no cars and very few runners/walkers.

My right calf is still a little tight and not 100% but it does seem to be coming around.

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com - subscribe - follow blog - virtual4now

A Run The Reagan Like No Other

Tomorrow morning is the Run the Reagan road race. They feature a 1 mile fun run, a 5k, a 10k, and a half marathon. If you have been reading long you will remember this race two times in my history. Two years ago I Ran the Reagan as my first half marathon, and last year I Ran the Reagan 5k as I was just getting back to running following my broken collar bone.

This year I was planning on running the Reagan with all three of my kids. I was actually thinking of doing a three race day and was going to run the 1 mile with my son, the 5k with my daughter Ashlee, and the 10k with my daughter Payton. Looking at the race starting times I was actually going to be able to work this out too. We ended up changing our minds this past Sunday when we looked at what it was going to cost us and all the other costs we have had to incur recently.

Since I decided to not Run the Reagan I decided I would volunteer instead. I really didn't want to let go being a part of the race. So tomorrow morning I will be showing up at 7:00 am 9:00 am and helping with the race day. Last year I volunteered and ran the race.

And this is where it gets interesting......

Today, we just got more snow than I can remember ever getting since we moved to Atlanta 10 years ago. I am not sure what the official count is, but I would say it was in the 3-5" range..... sure that is nothing for up north, but quite a bit for down here. To add insult to injury it is supposed to be in the mid 20's at race time tomorrow morning so there is no chance of anything melting off. This will be a snow and ice filled race.

The e-mail came just a few hours ago, and the website was updated. The race was still on however everything would be delayed by 2 hours off of the original schedule. There is still a possibility that more could change by morning, but I hope we awake to find that the Reagan is clear enough to run on.

All things do tend to work out in a way for some reason. Shortly after deciding not to run this race this past Sunday I went out for a 10 miler. 6 miles into the run my right calf started to tighten up. By the time I went to bed that evening I was in a lot of pain. It is feeling much better now, but with it the way it is there is no way I would have been able to run even one of these races...... let alone all 3 like I was thinking.

There will be more races to come, however I am looking forward to volunteering in tomorrows snowy Run the Reagan, A Run The Reagan Like No Other.

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com - subscribe - follow blog - virtual4now

Running the Sahara - Charlie Engle - Coming to Atlanta!

Would you run across the desert? Would you run day after day for months on end? If you haven't already heard about the Running The Sahara film, you have most certainly heard about Charlie Engle and the other "long runs" he has done. Very few can lay claim to the magnitude of what Charlie Engle has accomplished in the running community.

Have you seen the film yet? If so, let us know in the comments what you thought. If you have not seen it and you live in Atlanta you are in luck. One week from today on February 17^th at 7:30 it will be playing at the Landmark Midtown Art Theater.......... and guess what? I have a discount code which you can use to get $5 off of admission! The ticket includes admission to the screening, a Running the Sahara DVD, and a post film Q & A with ultra runner and film star, Charlie Engle, who will also be available to autograph your DVD.

To take advantage of this discount just go to the Running the Sahara store at nehst.com/rtsln and enter promo code GROUPSALE (case sensitive) to receive $5 off the ticket price. Advance purchases are only $25 - $5 = $20 and are available until 3:00 pm the day of the event, but will be $35 at the door....... so don't delay! Where else can you get a film showing, the DVD, and be able to meet Charlie Engle....... all for only $20!

So you say you haven't heard about the film, Running the Sahara? You can read a lot more about it on the film's website: www.runningthesahara.com or it can be summed up below.

Running the Sahara chronicles an attempt by three ultra marathoners to run across the entire length of Africa’s Sahara Desert, tackling not only the elements, but also unimaginable physical and emotional obstacles. Their goal is to run through Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya, and Egypt, anticipating two marathons per day, for eighty days - without a day off. The expedition spans 4,300 miles (6,920 kilometers) and passes through six countries. Charlie Engle from the United States, Kevin Lin from Taiwan, and Ray Zahab from Canada, have run together in marathons before. But this expedition is different. It’s a grueling test of will – a story about the human spirit under fire – and a chance to accomplish something that no known person has ever achieved.

If everything above doesn't intrigue you, then what about the opportunity to meet me in person? I will be attending compliments of the promoters of this showing of the film and would love to meet you as well...... although, I am guessing I will not be as big an attraction as Charlie will be :)

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com - subscribe - follow blog - virtual4now

How Do You Describe Your Runs?

I know the grammar isn't complete, but isn't that what Twitter has made us do?

"Just finished an invigorating and lung busting 4.4 mile rainy cold hilly run"

If I was given much more space on Twitter who knows how many more adjectives I could have come up with? :)

The run was just as I said it: Invigorating, lung busting, rainy, cold, and hilly. I was very pleased with it, but it (mostly the hills) kicked my butt..... and I loved it!

I was running a new route. My daughter was running 4 miles with a friend and needed a ride to her house. I figured I would take her there and run my 4+ mile run from there as well. I figured we would get back close to the same time and all would be good. It was a good run, but with a bit more hills then I had hoped to run. When I got back my phone rang and she asked..... are you back yet? She was inside eating some soup. We drove what she "said" was 4 miles...... She is outside in our neighborhood right now running two more miles to bring her day to 5 miles...... you do the math :)

How do you describe your runs?

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com - subscribe - follow blog - virtual4now

Are You a Listener?

There are two kinds of runners - those that listen, and those that don't.

I listen..... sometimes.

OK, there are more than two kinds of runners, and there is more than one definition of listening when coming to running. The kind of listening I am talking about here is the type that is piped into your ears, usually by some type of audio device.

I am a listener with many broad avenues. I will sometimes listen to something, and other times I will not. I will not listen to anything when I am running a race, but not because we are "not allowed" but rather because I like to fully experience the race and those I am running it with.

When I do listen, many times all I listen to is the radio. I will tune in a number of different stations and just hit the road. When I am listening to the radio it is usually for background noise and not for a specific purpose. My two favorite genres are Country and Classic Rock.

Other times I listen to audio books, or podcasts. I am amazed at how well I can focus on what is being read when other times when I am listening to music I can't even tell you what had just played. Right now I just started listening to the Bible which I am trying to listen to in it's entirety over the next year using the Daily Audio Bible Podcast.

So........

What do you listen to? Do you listen to anything other than the sound of your foot-falls and heavy breathing?

I was recently contacted by a company working along side the running music producer AudioFuel and the Virgin London Marathon. They are looking for people to vote for their favorite running tracks. These votes will help build this years soundtrack for the London Marathon which will later be available on iTunes. If you are interested in helping Music and Motivation create this soundtrack make sure you stop by and vote no later than February 1st.

Are you interested in what this soundtrack is like? They have also provided a free fuel sampler which can be downloaded here.

Once you have voted why not chime in.... Are you a listener? If so, of what?

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com - subscribe - follow blog - virtual4now

My Girls Are Beasts!

I think that is how the kids say it these days isn't it? They are Beasts!

My two daughters and I went out for a 3+ mile run and just ran until the watch said 3 miles and then ran home. We finished at 3.3 miles. This was the fastest Ashlee has run this distance. She kept all three miles under 10 minutes, and had an overall pace of 9:35. :)

The kicker was that it rained on us steadily the entire run..... luckily it wasn't too cold at the very nice 57 degrees. Truth be told I was thinking that I was going to get some negative feedback (nice way of saying complaining) from one if not both of them but I didn't hear any. Now, we all three talked about it, but there was no reluctance to running at all.

Tomorrow we are all getting into a new schedule. For the girls it is the first official track practice so they will both be running with their team after school. For me that means I will have very few opportunities to run with them other than the weekend longer runs. This is both good and bad. I will miss running with them, but it will allow me to get back to my personal routine of morning running, and will allow me to kick up my mileage as well as my speed work. I have used the training with my daughters as an excuse to not do these two things as much as I should be.

Stay tuned for my plans for upcoming races - I have not been focusing on my own running/training, but rather my girls, so I have not been thinking races as much lately..... but that will change now.

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com - subscribe - follow blog - virtual4now