Training Supplement – June 15, 2018

Buying some light-weight tops before my next training cycle was a priority.  The wireless headphones I bought back in March died, so I bought another brand.  In my mind, healthy people eat oatmeal for breakfast, so that’s just what I did.

Clothing & Gear

Tops – Singlets.  Brooks Ghost Racerback.  From the website, the fabric looked similar to the mesh-like Nike tank tops that I’ve trained in almost exclusively for the past few summers.  I bought the top in blue sized extra small.  (It has pretty stripes of turquoise along the sides.)  I’ve worn it twice and I think it’ll be good for summer running.  It’s looser around the middle than my Nike tanks but once I was drenched in sweat, it clung to my mid-section.  The cut around my neck and arms provided good coverage and it hit my waist just past the band on my shorts.

New Balance 247 Cropped Fitted Tank.  I thought I might try a crop top for the summer.  On me, this top was fitted in the bust but loose around my lower rib cage because although the fabric stretched, it didn’t cling.  It hit about a 1/2 above my belly button, which I thought still left modest.  It’s not a bad top, but I think it would be better for something other than summer long distance running.  The top felt very heavy once it was wet.

(My Complete Clothes & Gear Page.)

Nutrition & Hydration

Post-workout Nutrition.  Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats.  I’m trying to eat healthier this summer to lose a few pounds.  I got a bag of steel cut oats in a Runner’s World Box a few months ago and cooked up a bowl this week.  On it’s own, a quarter cup serving was 140 calories and 24g of carbohydrate but I corrupted it with raisins, pecans, and brown sugar.  It was tasty but I didn’t like the consistency of the oats.  And looking ahead to my next training cycle, I doubted I would have time in the mornings to cook.

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Classic Oatmeal Cup.  I thought the oatmeal cup would be a time-saving alternative.  It cooked up quickly and the soft texture of the rolled oats were more palatable to me.  The 12 ounce cup has 210 calories and 33g of carbohydrate.

Routes

Sights.  Freedman’s Village. This summer, I’ve been doing my strides on a stretch of road on the south side of Arlington Cemetery near the Air Force Memorial.  Last week, I noticed a historical marker that described how the neighborhood started as housing for freed slaves during and after the Civil War.

Construction.  “Work on 5.2 Miles of Rock Creek Trails to Start Soon, Last Two Years, and Include Detours,” by The Wash Cycle.  I haven’t been running downtown recently but this article about improvements to the Rock Creek Trail caught my eye.  It seemed like construction could start soon.

Media & Motivation

Music.  “Dreams,” The Cranberries.  I bought this song a few months ago.  I had just committed to going on a dream vacation this summer.

(My “Songs of the Week” playlist on Spotify.)

Headphones.  JLab Epic Sport Wireless.  The Jaybird X3 Wireless Headphones that I purchased back in March have already malfunctioned!  I went to Best Buy this month and bought this model.  (I also bought a warranty!)

I wrote about how I chose between these two wireless headphones back back in March.  What do I think now that I’ve worn both?

• The JLabs are uncomfortably heavy for me.  The pods that go in the ear are bulky and don’t sit well in my ear canal.
• The battery life is actually great!  I charged them, used them for hour long activities twice, days apart, and yet the device still said the battery is full!  By contrast, I felt I always had to charge the Jaybird X3s before a run just to be sure it had enough juice.

Even though the quality and battery life for the Jaybird X3s are questionable, I still like them better for running because they are lighter.

Podcasts.  “Episode 153 – The Running Story of the Year (Jamie Watts and Pat Dalby),” from Pace The Nation.  Cerebral palsy didn’t stopped Jamie from accomplishing another running feat!  I struggled to wrap my head around how difficult the training must have been for her – and the race itself!  And finally, I thought it was fantastic that the Pacer’s racing crew did this for her.

Books and Magazines.  “The Every-Day Hero,” Runner’s World, July 2018.  On a much darker note, one of the victims in the senseless shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February was the cross country coach, Scott Beigel.  This article celebrates his life and the impact he had on the kids at the school.  (There’s a shorter piece on Coach Beigel on the website.)

Next weekend, I leave for a trip that I’ve dreamed about taking since college.  When I come back, I’ll start training for the 2018 New York City Marathon!