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Training Log: 2 Races and Building Fitness

March 18, 2019 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , 3 Comments
Training Log: 2 Races and Building Fitness

Last week was exhausting for life and exhausting for running. It wasn’t until Friday that I felt like I wasn’t “on the go” and had some time for myself.  I feel like the last two weeks I’m starting to see glimpses of fitness come back. While I’m still nowhere near where I would like, I’ve made a successful jump towards it.

Monday: Easy 60 minutes/Core
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: 6X800s jog/800 easy (total miles 10)
Thursday: OFF
Friday: Easy 60 minutes/Core
Saturday: Adrenaline Run 5k (19:26)
Sunday: Shamrock Half Marathon (1:29.52)

Thoughts:

I took 2 rest days off again. I think I’m going to continue that trend for a few weeks as I increase my speed. Increasing speed and keeping at high mileage, is a recipe for disaster. On Tuesday, I just felt exhausted, and I had no energy. I knew any run wouldn’t be worth it. So I didn’t.  The easy runs were just easy and boring.  Many people ask about core my core routine, and I wrote about that here.

Workout Wednesday: 6X800s averaging 6:01 pace

This is one of my faster workouts in a while. I was surprised at how good I felt.  The last few were even under 6 minutes. I jogged 800 between for a total of 10 miles with warmup/cooldown.

Adrenaline Run 5k: 19:26

I’ll have a full recap later.  It’s my fastest 5k in several months. I didn’t feel good or bad, just meh.  The weather was windy with a good headwind or tailwind.  It’s been a fun race for me, because I get to see so many local people since our running store hosts it.  I was too busy talking to start my watch so I had no idea what I was running. I wouldn’t have run any different if I knew my splits.

Shamrock Half Marathon: 1:29.52

Of the two races, I’m happier with the 5k. I took the half out faster than I should have and faded quite a bit in the final miles. I’m proud that I was somehow able to muster up the energy to run just under 90 minutes. I won’t say I’m terribly excited about running a 1:30 half, but I’m not devastated either.  It was a good effort for where I’m at fitness-wise right now.

For now, I’m just plugging along. I’m hoping to keep the momentum of training and slowly getting back into shape.

Posts from the Week:

Guide to Vital Proteins Products: Collagen Peptides, Whey, and Gelatin

9 Years ago I Began Running

Glycerin 17 Shoe Review

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 was your best workout?

How long does it take for you to “feel in shape”? 

Nike Pegasus Turbo 35 Shoe Review

October 26, 2018 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , 10 Comments
Nike Pegasus Turbo 35 Shoe Review

The Nike Pegasus is most people’s first running shoe.  In fact, way back in 2011, it was my first running shoe.  It’s gone through many changes.  This year, it has divided into two, and the current models are both the Nike Pegasus 35 and the Nike Pegasus 25 Turbo. They are two completely different shoes with different fits, feels, rides, and prices.   My foot barely fits into the regular width of the Pegasus 35 so I haven’t bothered running in it.

The Nike Pegasus Turbo is a lightweight weight and “faster” version of the Pegasus.  It uses the same ZoomX foam as the Vaporfly 4%.  That’s why it comes in at $180 and has a very short life.

Nike Pegasus Turbo Shoe Review

I bought the Pegasus Turbo 35 because I was looking for a long run/faster shoe.  During previous training cycles, I would have used a less cushioned shoes like a racing flat.

My only goal of this training cycle is to start and finish the marathon healthy.  Among many things, it means adding a lot more cushion into my training shoes. I’m not the type of runner that can get away minimal shoes anyway.  I did recently write about racing flats and if they are right for you.

Nike Pegasus Turbo Shoe Review

The Pegasus Turbo has ZoomX foam, which is lighter and provides more energy return than the regular Pegasus.  The only shoes that have the ZoomX foam are the Vaporfly Elite, Vaporfly 4%, and now the Pegasus Turbo.  You’ll know if your shoe has the foam because they are only available is certain colors and far more expensive than the traditional shoe.

Fit:

The upper of the Turbo is very different than the regular Pegasus and a lot wider. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to try the Turbo versus the normal Pegasus.

Of course, I want to run faster, but the Turbo is just a wider shoe. I usually wear a women’s size 10-11 wide and I cannot fit my foot into the regular Pegasus.

I can, however, wear a women’s 10 in the turbo with no problem.  The Turbo is one of the few shoes that a standard size 10 feels comfortable to me.

The upper of the Pegasus Turbo generally is a similar to the regular Pegasus but a little more sturdy.  One thing worth mentioning is the Racing Stripe on the shoe. It looks cool, sure, but it takes a lot of breathability out of the shoe. To me personally, it seems cheap.  It could have been screen printed onto the shoe with no issues with the material.

Nike Pegasus Turbo Shoe Review

Ride:

Both the Pegasus and Pegasus Turbo look like aggressive shoes.  They have a curved heel almost resembling a fin.  Nike mentions the fin is aerodynamic.  Every second matter right?  I like shoes that you can see the technology.  In any of the Turbo shoes, you can see where the two layers of foam meet.  You can see the material crush down in both the Vaporfly and Nike Pegasus Turbo.

During long runs, it’s much softer than the regular Pegasus and resembles the squishy of the Vomero but fast…very fast.  All of my long runs have been productive in the shoe.  Is it the shoe? Is it my training? I’m able to get good leg turnover in the shoe.

Nike Pegasus Turbo Shoe Review

Conclusion:

I think the Nike Pegasus Turbo is a good shoe, however, there are a few things that I think need to be mentioned.  I’ll continue to run in it and get faster long runs, but do I think it’s worth all of the hype? That I’m not sure.

  • The shoe is not durable. Similar to the VaporFly, you aren’t going to get “a lot” of mileage in them. The foam tends to break down in the Turbo around 150 miles.  Why don’t people talk about this? The Vaporfly is only designed to last 2 or so marathons?
  • The price. $180 is a lot for a neutral, low cushioned, shoe.

I don’t think it’s a bad shoe, but for me, it serves its purpose as a long, fast, run shoe. I’m not going to take it out for a leisurely jog or add additional mileage in it.

If your foot is a more narrow width, I would probably suggest getting the regular Pegasus, as it’s significantly cheaper and you get more mileage out it.  I know I’m in the minority, but I think it’s more of a social media shoe than anything.  Obviously, most people love it, since it sells out so quickly!

Current Shoe Rotation:

Long Runs: Nike Pegasus Turbo, Hoka Cavu

Easy Run/Daily Runs: Brooks Glycerin, New Balance 1080, On Cloudace 

Workouts: Nike Pegasus Turbo, Nike Zoom Streak or Saucony Type A

Questions for you:

What was your first running shoe?

What shoe do you race most often in? 

Roundabout Diner (Portsmouth, NH)

September 9, 2018 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,
Roundabout Diner (Portsmouth, NH)

I recently said on Instagram, but one of my goals has become to go to a diner in every state.  Yes, they do exist!  I’m not obsessed with the goal, but it allows me to see various parts of the country.  Am I ever going to spend thousands to go somewhere to go to a diner?  No, but if I am in the state, I’m going to go.

During my brief trip through New Hampshire, I decided to stop at the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth.

Atmosphere: A
This diner is precisely where you would think it is, on a roundabout.  It’s also attached to a Best Western Hotel which makes for a great stop if you are driving somewhere and need to stop for the night.  That’s precisely what we did.

Roundabout diner portsmouth nh The diner has everything you picture in a restaurant.  The interior is retro, with plenty of metallic signs, and memorabilia.

Roundabout diner portsmouth nh

Coffee: A
The coffee was brewed hot, and fresh.  One thing that impressed me was the New England logo mugs.  In all, it was an excellent coffee.

Roundabout diner portsmouth nh

Food: A
The Roundabout Diner has everything you would want in a diner.  There are plenty of breakfasts, lunch, and dinner options.  Since it is New England, they did have plenty of Lobster options as well.

I opted for the “Pile Up Burger” sandwich because it was one of the “staple” choices.   It came on Sourdough bread with 1/2 lb. burger, pulled pork, turkey, ham, bacon, cheddar cheese, egg, slaw and Russian Dressing.

Roundabout diner portsmouth nh

It was a lot of food.  I finished the majority of it and saved the rest in our hotel fridge.  There are only a few diner meals I haven’t finished before!

Roundabout diner portsmouth nh

Service: A
On a Friday night, the diner was busy.  The waitress was moving between tables, and we could see her working extremely hard.  I was impressed, but she made time for every single table.

Cost:
For my burger and coffee, it was 20.  For the amount of food, it was a good deal.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
In all, I’m pleased with my food, and I have no complaints.  It is in the top 10% of diners I’ve been too ever (in NJ or out of state), and I have no complaints!

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: A
Food: A
Service: A
Cost: $8-15
Overall: A

You Can See All Diner Reviews Here. 

Questions for you:
Have you ordered a restaurant specialty?
Have you gone to a restaurant located in a hotel?

Queen City Diner (Allentown, PA)

August 26, 2018 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , 1 Comment
Queen City Diner (Allentown, PA)

Recently I was in the Allentown area.  As I mentioned on my hiking at Hickory Run post, I wanted to get through Philadelphia area traffic early.  It also left me with plenty of time to try a new diner.

Queen city diner allentown

Atmosphere: B

The outside of the Queen City Diner is that of a typical diner.  There isn’t a lot about the Queen City Diner that is unusual, but it is old, metallic, and shiny.  The inside resembles the quintessential diner with plenty of booths, tables, and even a salad bar.

Queen city diner allentown

Getting inside the actual diner was difficult because many people were congregated and waiting in the doorway.

Queen City Diner Allentown PA

Coffee: A

The coffee at the Queen City Diner was good.  One thing I appreciated was the fact they left a pitcher of coffee so I could manually refill it myself.  That ended up being great because the waitress didn’t come around much.

Queen City Diner Allentown PA

Food: B

The Queen City Diner has everything you would typically want in a diner.  There are plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.  Since it was around lunchtime, I decided to order an omelet.  It came with both hashbrowns and toast.  The omelet itself was good and was stuffed with plenty of filling.  The toast took an extra 10 minutes to come out after the food which was frustrating.

Queen City Diner Allentown PA

Service: D

To preface the waitress was nice but food took entirely too long to come out.  I think we were in the diner for over an hour.  When the food came out, it came out at different times.  One of my “pet peeves” is when food comes out at very different times.  I dislike when I get my food 15 minutes before someone else or vice versa.  The entire diner just seemed disorganized.

Price: $

For my omelet and coffee, the cost was $10.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:

The Queen City Diner wasn’t the worst diner I’ve been too, but definitely not the best either.  The problem was the disorganization with food orders and the waiting time.  I would come back to see if I just hit it at a wrong time.

Atmosphere: B

Coffee: A

Food: B

Service: D

Price: $8-15

Overall: C

You Can See All Diner Reviews Here.

Questions for you:

Do you have a restaurant “pet peeve”?

What is your favorite type of omelet? 

Galaxy Diner and Cafe (Rahway)

August 25, 2018 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment
Galaxy Diner and Cafe (Rahway)

Recently I was at the Galaxy Diner and Cafe in Rahway, NJ.  Danielle and I needed a spot to meet that as somewhat close to Newark, and Rahway was a good stop.  Reading the reviews of Yelp, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Atmosphere: A
When we arrived, the hostess was friendly and quickly sat us at a booth near the back.  The exterior of the Galaxy Diner is metallic, shiny, and as picture perfect as you expect a diner to be.  The inside has plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar.  We were lucky to snag a booth on the weekend.

Coffee: B
The coffee was decent but nothing to write home about.  I liked it, and the waitress refilled it a few times.

Galaxy Diner Rahway NJ

Food: A
The Galaxy Diner has everything you expect a diner to have.  There are plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner specials.  There is even a salad bar filled with more than the average bar: beets, grape leaves, bean salad…the list is endless.  I wanted to make use of the salad bar, so I decided to order the Soulvanki special.  It came with a shish kabob of pork on top of rice as well as pita bread.  It also came with soup, and I ordered chicken noodle.

I don’t even know where to start with all of the food I ordered.  Everything on the salad bar was fresh, and I thought of any restaurant salad bars, it was one of the better ones I’ve had.

I ate some of the soup, which was decent, but I had so much food already.

Galaxy Diner Rahway NJ

The Shishkabob had gyro meat as well as grilled vegetables.  It was cooked perfectly as well.  Honestly, it was one of the better diner meals I’ve had in a while.

Galaxy Diner Rahway NJ

Service: B
The waitress was nice but forgot about us.  After we finished our meal, it was another 20 minutes before she came back.  That was fine, as Danielle and I always have plenty to talk about.

Cost: $
For all of my food, plus coffee it was $16.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back:
I really enjoyed the Galaxy Diner and had a good experience.  It is one of my more favorite diners in the area, and I would go back.  The salad bar is excellent and definitely one of the better restaurant salad bars.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Service: B
Cost: $10-20
Overall: A

You Can See all 206 Diners Here.

Questions for you:
Where is your favorite salad bar?
Do you like grilled vegetables or prefer raw? 

 

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