Running and Laughing through the Garden State
Recently, I’ve been experimenting with different types and brands of collagen. I’ve written a dozen posts about the uses and benefits of collagen, but it’s been a few months. Continue reading “Naked Nutrition Collagen Review”
Pocomoke River State Park (Pocomoke, MD)
On my many drives from New Jersey to Virginia, I’ve seen Pocomoke River State Park near Pocomoke City and Snow Hill in Worcester County. I’ve always wanted to stop at Pocomoke River State Park, but for whatever reason, weather, timing, it just didn’t work out.
A couple of weeks ago, my legs were feeling restless, so I decided to stop. I was not disappointed!
Pocomoke River State Park is located right off Route 113, just before connecting with Route 13. There are plenty of hiking trails. Plus, if you are looking for camping, they have an electric hookup, camp store, picnic area, nature center, bathhouse, dumping station, swimming pool and even large boat launch. There are several areas to camp, including Shad Landing and Milburn Landing Areas
I went to Shad Landing which is on the south side of the Pocomoke River near Route 113. I didn’t realize there was a whole separate section called Milburn Landing. It’s 25 minute drive between the two sections of Pocomoke River State Park. I can see how they host an 50k ultra race at Pocomoke River State Park.
Located within the 15,000 wooded acres of Pocomoke State Forest has about 15,000 wooded acres. Pocomoke River State Park is famous for its loblolly pine and for its cypress swamps. The Pocomoke River originates in the Great Cypress Swamp in Delaware and flows south 45 miles to the Chesapeake Bay. Cypress Swamp and upland is home to plenty of plant and animal life, including otters and bald eagles, and over 50 species of fish.
Even though it was a beautiful 60 degrees in January, the seasonal things were obviously closed.
I didn’t plan to stop at Pocomoke River State Park, so I didn’t have any ideas of trails. Several trails hike through the Great Cypress Swamp in Delaware and Maryland. Plus, you can hike by the Chesapeake Bay as well as areas of the Pocomoke River.
Here are a few photos from the stop. I was only at Pocomoke River State Park for an hour, but it was a great stop to get out and stretch my legs. I find I’ve struggled to sit still on the 6-hour drive.
Questions for you:
Have you ever been to Pocomoke River State Park?
Do you sit still well in car rides?
week was a great of training. There weren’t any races that interested me, but I was able to log mileage and quality workouts. The running goal until February is log mileage and focus on workouts. The goal of the 2020 training cycle is to run under 1:25. I don’t know when it will happen and as I gain fitness, I’ll be able to get a better gauge, whether it be sooner or later. I don’t have a goal race picked out just yet. I need to stay injury free and see how fitness comes along.
| Monday: | AM: 6 miles |
| PM: Easy 4 miles with 6X30 second strides | |
| Tuesday: | AM: Easy 8 miles PM: 1-hour swim |
| Wednesday: | 20X400s with 200 jog in between |
| Thursday: | Easy 6 miles with Jen |
| Friday: | 14 miles averaging 8:47 pace |
| Saturday: | Easy 6 Group Run |
| Sunday: | 14 miles |
This week went better than anticipated. I felt like I got in recovery and was able to bounce back quickly. I wasn’t expecting to feel as good on Friday, but I ended up feeling good. My easy range ranges anywhere between 9-11 minute miles, so I was surprised to feel so good and average 8:47. 70 miles is the highest amount of miles I’ve run in a couple of years.
Even with marathon training and 20-mile training runs, I wasn’t running 70 because my body needs a heck a lot more rest after 20 miles than 14. I’m looking forward to continuing to build. I don’t foresee myself getting much higher than 80 but I know I thrive best on 70-80 miles per week. That’s where I’ve run all of my PRs.
I was nervous about this workout. I haven’t done this many 400s in a while. (Probably since 2018). I haven’t done this since X seems to be a theme lately, but it’s also why I haven’t been in PRing shape since X.
Since I’m focusing on longer races (the half marathon), I would prefer to have the endurance versus a few 400s at an all-out sprint. The goal was to run the 400s around a 5-mile pace. Since I chose to do the workout on a hilly road, it was a little slower and averaged 6:46 pace. While not as fast as I would like, I’m happy with the effort on the hills.
Sunday’s long run had a different twist. I ran 7 miles and for the second half, I ran .25 hard followed by .75 easy. It was tough and I wanted to stop a few too many times but I’m happy with my effort.
Distance Series 10 Miler (1:10.07)
Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter? It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport.
Questions for you:
What’s your favorite workout?
Are you training for anything?
Recently I was in Linden, New Jersey and I wanted to stop at the White Rose Diner. It’s a quintessential diner and one of the top 10 in the state. It was a matter of time before I finally made it.
Many old diners in New Jersey have the name white in them: White Rose Diner, White Mana, White Manna, White Rose System, White Rose Burgers. There are about 20 old diners in New Jersey with the name White in them. According to Munchmobile, when diners were first starting, “white” meant cleanliness and wholesomeness.
White Rose Diner (Linden) Atmosphere: A
The White Rose Diner is a small, shiny, stainless steel, metallic, square diner. It sits about 12 people. Most of the seating is bar seating, but there is a table in the back. If you are looking for an older, more retro diner in New Jersey, it doesn’t exist.
These old stainless steel diners now resemble fast-food takeout places. You can sit down and eat, but with your order ready in 5 minutes, I watched many people take it and go.
White Rose Diner (Linden) Coffee: B
Like many of the small, old school diners in New Jersey, it was a small 10-ounce cup of coffee. They didn’t have whipped cream, but I was given a to-go cup, which was great. While there was nothing special about the coffee, I’m happy with the order.
White Rose Diner (Linden) Food:
The White Rose Diner menu is written at the top of the diner. There is no handheld menu, but you can read it behind the counter. You take your order at the register and sit down. The White Rose Diner is well known for their “Taylor Ham Rolls” (their words; I have no bias in the name.). Since the White Rose Diner won an award for their Taylor Ham Roll, I felt like it was the only option. There aren’t many healthy options and it’s your old school greasy spoon.
The Taylor Ham Roll is a breakfast sandwich with Taylor Ham (which is thinly sliced ham), egg, cheese, and condiments. The White Rose Diner adds potatoes which gave them their own jive.
It tasted great to me. It was a large and filling breakfast sandwich.
White Rose Diner (Linden) Service: A
The White Rose Diner had one of the best services of any diner I’ve been too. Two employees were working, which is all I assume they need. The owner noticed my New York City Marathon shirt and started talking to me about the marathon. He told me his son runs the Philadelphia Marathon and Broad Street 10 Miler. How neat is that? I’ve never had a diner owner know about those races. It was clear he loved his job.
White Rose Diner (Linden) Cost: $
For my coffee and Taylor Ham Sandwich, the cost was $5.50. I think the only time I’ve had that cheap of a diner meal is at Angelo’s Glassboro Diner.
Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back to the White Rose Diner (Linden)?
The White Rose Diner was excellent and I think anyone visiting New Jersey should go if you’re looking for the quintessential, metallic, diner experience. Plus, it’s not far from Newark Airport.
Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Service: A
Cost: $5-10
Overall: A
Questions for you:
Pork Roll or Taylor Ham?
What’s the smallest restaurant you’ve been too?
Asics Cumulus 21 Shoe Review
Asics has been around the running world for years. The Asics Cumulus, the Asics Nimbus, and the Asics Kayano are all over 20 models old. A few years ago, Asics changed factories and their shoe quality went down. The shoes were narrow and tight and many people went wider and even a full size larger. Shoe size is just shoe size but when you order the same shoe year after year and suddenly you’re a size bigger, it doesn’t do the brand any favors.
My point with that is from about 2015-2019, Asics was not great. In late 2019, they came out with the Asics Nimbus 22 and it was the first shoe in years I was impressed with from Asics.
Asics does win the award of most consistent with their technology. The same Asics Gel from the 1990s is the same Asics gel now.
Now that we have that long introduction about Asics let’s get to the Asics Cumulus 21, also known as the Asics Gel Cumulus 21. Although there is no non-Asics Gel Cumulus 21 and there is no shoe called the “Asics Gel.”
The Gel Cumulus 21 is a lighter, less cushioned version of the Asics Nimbus 22.
Weight: 9.9 ounces
Heel to Toe Drop: 10 mm
The fit of the Asics Cumulus 21 is what so many people are curious about! Now, the Asics Cumulus 21 uses a dual-layer mesh. The toe box is wider and the Asics Cumulus 21 fits more true to size than it has in years.
First, Asics Cumulus 21 now uses a dual-layer mesh. While more durable, the engineered jacquard mesh upper doesn’t breathe as well as I hoped.
One thing I wish Asics would remove (from all of their shoes) is the heavy Asics logo. It takes up a lot of space and just seems like unnecessary weight. Many brands have already gone towards screen printing their logos on shoes, so Asics should go that route too. Although the Asics logo doesn’t hinder anything with the fit of the Asics Cumulus 21, it just adds unnecessary weight.
I do appreciate is the higher heel collar in all Asics shoe. The higher internal heel counter and holds the foot in position. My foot feels secure when running in the Asics Cumulus 21.
In running shoes, I typically wear between a 10-11 wide and I find the Asics Cumulus 11 wide to be the best fit. For a while, I couldn’t comfortably fit into the Asics Cumulus, but I can once again.
Asics, in general, is one of the heavier brands out there. That’s because Asics uses gel in (most) of their shoes and gel is a heavier substance. While the Asics Cumulus 21 is one of their lighter offerings, it’s still heavier compared to the Saucony Ride, Brooks Ghost, or Hoka Clifton. The Cumulus 21 is no different. The following is some of the features for the midsole and outsole of the Cumulus 21.
The staple in most Asics shoes is the silicone-based gel, which absorbs shock. Gel is no better than other cushioning systems, but there is more cushion in the heel. The rear and forefoot gel technology is designed for shock absorption with a Flytefoam, low-density foam, in the midsole.
The midsole is made up of both Flytefoam and Flytefoam propel midsole technology. What is Flytefoam? It’s softer, low-density foams that provide bounciness and responsiveness. Asics introduced Flytefoam into many of their staples shoes to reduce weight but also provide a more responsive ride. With the mixture of foams, I’ve found the Asics Cumulus 21 to provide responsiveness no matter the type of run.
Finally, like many shoes, the Asics Cumulus 21 uses “AHAR,” also known as ASICS High Abrasion Rubber. The rubber makes it great on rainy, wet, or icy days. If it’s icy or snowy, I’m more likely to grab the Asics Cumulus 21.
The Flytefoam Propel Technology, together with the rearfoot and forefoot gel technology, makes the Asics Cumulus 21 the softest and most responsive ride in a long time.
I’ve run a few different types of runs in the Asics Cumulus 21 and I find the best use is as a daily trainer or a shoe I’m standing around or at the gym in. I prefer the durable gel for long days at work or to reduce shock on easy runs. Lately, I’ve used the Asics Gel Cumulus 21 a lot for warmups and cooldowns for workouts and races.
The updated Asics Cumulus 21 is better than it has been in years. It’s exciting to see Asics getting back in the game. The Asics Cumulus 21 fits more comfortably and is a great trainer for someone looking for an everyday shoe for easy runs. It’s one of my favorite shoes to stand around, go to the gym, or even work in (yes, a running shoe that I use a lot for nonrunning). If you’ve run in the Asics Cumulus before, the major changes are the upper and a better fit than previous versions.
Easy/Daily Runs: Mizuno Rider Waveknit 3, New Balance 1080 v10, Diadora Mythos Elite TRX, Hoka Bondi 6, Asics Cumulus 21
Speed Work: New Balance FuelCell Rebel, Reebok Float Ride Run fast Pro, Nike Pegasus Turbo 2
Long Runs: Brooks Ricochet 2 Shoe Review, New Balance FuelCell Rebel, Altra Escalante 2.0, Hoka Cavu 2
Races: New Balance Fuelcell 5280, Nike Next%, Reebok Run fast Pro
Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter? It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport.
Questions for you:
Have you run in the Asics Cumulus 21?
What is your current favorite running shoe?