Great iPhone Running Apps

So, theHardRunner is heading to Corning, NY for my 14th marathon.  Before I go I wanted to offer a bit of reading material that may even prove useful.  I thought it would be nice to share my favorite iPhone apps for runners.  Enjoy!

The iPhone 5 - I think it's growing on us.

The iPhone 4 and 4S - Idk, seems a little heavy.

The iPhone - Remember when there was no App Store?

My Thoughts on Hemp, Not to Smoke, but to Eat!

What a cool discovery, hemp seeds.  Yeah, they have been great in my cereal and salads.  Why is this such a big deal?  Well, I've been playing with vegan diets over the last several months and I still hear about how I may be missing out on the much needed "protein" in my diet.  That's started me on a discovery journey.  I've been doing so much research on the whole protein deficiency scare for vegetarians and vegans.  Here's a few things thehardrunner has learned about hemp seeds, other plant foods and the misnomers of a plant central diet.

I now understand the difference between complete protein and incomplete proteins.  Foods with complete proteins contain all the essential amino acids (in proper proportion) our bodies require to form protein.  This is found in most animal meats, but most richly in the animal's organs, like the liver.  Foods with incomplete proteins are lacking the full proportion required in one or more amino acids.  Thus even a veggie that has an incomplete protein possesses some of all the amino acids, but may not have a full amount required for our bodies.  

The good news is that the human body knows how to combine foods and obtain the required amount of each amino to form the protein it needs.  Further, the foods don't need to come all at once.  A combo of beans and rice, for example, can be consumed at once or over two or three meals in your day.  If you have rice at lunch and beans at dinner, you have armed your body to get what it needs to build a protein.

You can indeed get complete proteins from vegetables.  I was reading an article by a woman who claimed she returned to eating meat after she "learned" she wasn't getting complete proteins from a plant only diet.  After a short look on the net, I found out just how wrong she was.  And this person has a published book!  Really?  A short list of plant foods with complete proteins:  quinoa, soybeans, spirulina, chia, and hemp seed.  All these foods are pretty easy for most Americans to buy in a grocery store.  Shucks, I bought my bag of hemp seeds at my local Costco.  And Hemp seed has 10 grams/serving of protein and is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acid.  I've been adding about two tablespoons to my cereal this week and it's been great.  Soy bean was a pleasant surprise to me because I eat them all the time as edamame.  But, soy beans are on my very short list of veggies that I look for organic as often as possible.  Too much to go into the whys in this note, but look for my rant on that later.  Run a quick youtube search on "gmo soy beans" to get a hint.  

All this doesn't mean that I'm a vegan now.  I do, however, enjoy eating like one most of the time.  I still love fish, shrimp and the occasional hamburger as a sort of treat.  I'm just free to go without the meat and know that I'm not missing out on anything essential.  

I've also been humbled a bit by what I've learned.  I once thought those non-meat eating folks were a little weird and were missing out on so much.  Now I'm learning that this land is rich and abundant with plenty of healthy eating options for us, including meat eaters and non-meat eaters.  To each his own, I guess.  

I've lost 30 pounds this year on a mostly non-meat diet, so I'll stick with it for a little while.  Never, never stop running. 

My Thoughts on Hemp, Not to Smoke, but to Eat!

What a cool discovery, hemp seeds.  Yeah, they have been great in my cereal and salads.  Why is this such a big deal?  Well, I've been playing with vegan diets over the last several months and I still hear about how I may be missing out on the much needed "protein" in my diet.  That's started me on a discovery journey.  I've been doing so much research on the whole protein deficiency scare for vegetarians and vegans.  Here's a few things thehardrunner has learned about hemp seeds, other plant foods and the misnomers of a plant central diet.

I now understand the difference between complete protein and incomplete proteins.  Foods with complete proteins contain all the essential amino acids (in proper proportion) our bodies require to form protein.  This is found in most animal meats, but most richly in the animal's organs, like the liver.  Foods with incomplete proteins are lacking the full proportion required in one or more amino acids.  Thus even a veggie that has an incomplete protein possesses some of all the amino acids, but may not have a full amount required for our bodies.  

The good news is that the human body knows how to combine foods and obtain the required amount of each amino to form the protein it needs.  Further, the foods don't need to come all at once.  A combo of beans and rice, for example, can be consumed at once or over two or three meals in your day.  If you have rice at lunch and beans at dinner, you have armed your body to get what it needs to build a protein.

You can indeed get complete proteins from vegetables.  I was reading an article by a woman who claimed she returned to eating meat after she "learned" she wasn't getting complete proteins from a plant only diet.  After a short look on the net, I found out just how wrong she was.  And this person has a published book!  Really?  A short list of plant foods with complete proteins:  quinoa, soybeans, spirulina, chia, and hemp seed.  All these foods are pretty easy for most Americans to buy in a grocery store.  Shucks, I bought my bag of hemp seeds at my local Costco.  And Hemp seed has 10 grams/serving of protein and is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acid.  I've been adding about two tablespoons to my cereal this week and it's been great.  

Soy bean was a pleasant surprise to me because I eat them all the time as edamame.  But, soy beans are on my very short list of veggies that I look for organic as often as possible.  Too much to go into the whys in this note, but look for my rant on that later.  Run a quick youtube search on "gmo soy beans" to get a hint.  

All this doesn't mean that I'm a vegan now.  I do, however, enjoy eating like one most of the time.  I still love fish, shrimp and the occasional hamburger as a sort of treat.  I'm just free to go without the meat and know that I'm not missing out on anything essential.  

I've also been humbled a bit by what I've learned.  I once thought those non-meat eating folks were a little weird and were missing out on so much.  Now I'm learning that this land is rich and abundant with plenty of healthy eating options for us, including meat eaters and non-meat eaters.  To each his own, I guess.  

I've lost 30 pounds this year on a mostly non-meat diet, so I'll stick with it for a little while.  Never, never stop running. 

Brief Story on the Hard Runner's Attempt at Yoga

Today I tried my first ever yoga class.  One of my long time running buddies from church convinced me to give it a try.  Well, I knew I wanted to try yoga for some time.  Practically every runner I know who has tried yoga simply loves it.  I, on the other hand, don't like the idea of doing something that makes me look stupid.  That limits me to a very small number of things I can do.  Yoga is not on that list, of course.  

(Now this is a yoga pose!  What was I doing?)  

But my friend reminded me that I look pretty stupid running too, but I still do that.  Enough said, I decided to give it a try.  Probably not a great idea to try it right after running a 6 mile run at close to tempo pace.  Lately, however, this body has been feeling strong so my confidence was up.  After all, I've recovered this year from plantar fasciitis, problems in both knees (ITB syndrome) and lost 30 extra pounds of useless weight.  Surely I can take on a simple yoga class for a short hour.  Besides, most of our stretches after we run are mock versions of various yoga poses anyway.  How hard could it be?

I tell you what, it was harder than I imagined.  My body simply was not designed to hold some of those poses.  And the yoga instructor, bless her little heart, was about 60.  She could move that body of hers around better than most 30 year olds I know.  Hows that for making me look stupid?

(Couch Yoga, Brilliant!) 

At about 30 minutes into our workout, I was taking on a bit of a sweat.  Great, I thought, this is way more than some simple stretch routine!

After about 40 minutes, I thought, if she puts us in that downward dog one more time… one more time!  Of course, my downward dog had given up and my upward dog had fallen down.  My warrior I, warrior II and warrior III had all taken up arms against each other.  My pigeon was cooked and my triangle, at best was a square.  But I rocked that child pose, yeah!

All in all, it was a beneficial experience and I think I may have found a viable complement to my running.  Yep, I'll try it again next week.

Never, never stop running.

New Post: Prep for a Twenty Mile Run

So, I think I'm ready for a hot, long run tomorrow morning.  Dallas, this summer, has offered up some of the hottest days in history to hit the streets and run.  If you're in Dallas, I don't have to tell you what the weather is going to be like.  I won't waste time positing a pic of the weather app from my iPhone.  A true pet peeve for one of my running buddies, Anthony Logsdon.

But, for the heck of it I took a pic of my running nutrients to post today.  I stopped in at my trusted local running store to stock up on gels, beans and waffles.  

I've noticed over the years of long running that I really hate fueling up during a run.  It really doesn't make sense, but I have the hardest time convincing myself to fuel my body during the thick of the run.  Something happens to my brain at about mile 4 when I'm usually feeling great.  I know I have another 16 miles to go, but I cannot imagine that I'll ever feel bad.  "Surely, I can run forever," I tell myself.  Therefore, I usually just take a quick sip of water and press on.  Around mile 15 I find myself wondering, "how on earth will I ever finish?"  

That was me.  A year ago, even two or three years ago.  This year has been different.  I've been working hard at taking in electrolytes and calories at regular intervals.  I have not perfected it yet, but I know it's important to do.  Since I'm qualified clydesdale, according to most marathon officials, I burn more energy per minute than those shirtless, sub 8 min/mile stallions.  I lose more water, too.  I tested myself before and found that I lose a whopping 9 lbs. on 20+ mile days.  That is an entire gallon of water!  I cannot figure out how to put all that back during the run, but I'm trying to reduce the loss as well.  Don't know if that is truly possible, but I believe extra calories during the run will certainly help.  

Over the last couple of long runs I've done much better at taking in supplements and water.  I can tell the difference in my ability to finish and recover.  

Here's a quick glance at my replenishment plan for tomorrow morning:

1. One Honey Stinger Waffle about one hour before start

2. 1-2 Endurolytes capsules every other water stop

3. One Honey Stinger energy gel at alternating water stops (alternating from the Endurolytes capsules)

4. Jelly Belly Sport Beans - whenever needed to relieve boredom spells

5.  EAS Myoplex Shake (after the run recovery drink)

If I manage to consume this heavy diet of packaged nutrients (still highly unlikely), we're talking over 900 calories.  Let's compare that to the 3100+ cals I'll burn and there's little wonder why these runs are so tough.  But what's not to love?  I get to hang out with a great group of people, laugh a whole lot, and challenge my body and mind.  I'm blessed!  Who cares about the heat?

Never, never stop running.

Update on Asics Landreth 7 and a Little Bit on "Shrinkage"

Remembering two Saturdays back in Dallas TX, the middle of July, what a perfect morning for a 14.5 mile run.  Well, there really isn't a good day in July in Dallas for a long run, but we did a have slight break from the humidity.  I had a chance to try on my new Asics Landreth 7s for a longer run and was glad for it.  Hurray, I think I have my new distance shoe.  Of course, I was still suffering a bit from whatever knee issue I'm having, but other than that I was good to go.  The group I run with is so great, too.  They run at the right pace for marathon training.  Some groups are out running their marathon pace each week, which I can't do anymore.  The group I'm with knows very well that "you only run race pace on race day", except for shorter speed work days, of course.  At any rate, I was in good company and it gave me a chance to test out my knee and the new shoes.  

The shoes really are pretty comfortable.  I did take time to pay attention to how my feet were feeling through the hotter temperatures and the usual torture tests.  No bad rubbing in uncomfortable spots, no pinching or toe bumping.  Hitting the surfaces felt natural.  Just what I was looking for.  Again, the best shoe is the shoe you don't feel.  

The rest of the run was a bit of a challenge.  Taking on the hills took a toll on my energy and going down hill really stressed that bum knee.  I still managed to do it in fair style.  I had wonderful side support from our local Luke's Locker Fit ATP leaders.  I just have to give them a shout out.  They were on the road at those niche intervals, offering water and the much appreciated Gatorade.  Oh yeah and ice, plenty of ice.  Is it rude to recommend a few cubes in your shorts to help bring down your body temperature?  We're all runners here, so you know we get pretty frank.  

Honestly, I have been running marathons for 8 years and this was the first time I had tried the "ice down your shorts" trick.  It does make a difference, although I may have had a George Constanza moment after the run.  If you don't get the reference, check out episode 20, season 5 when you get a chance.  You can find it on "Crackle" with an iPad or Roku player.

Fast forward two weeks and still going strong in my new Asics Landreth 7.  I've been faced with one pretty bad challenge this year in Dalls, the freaking heat and what it does to my shoes.  I mean, they come home very sweaty.  I have tried one time this year to simply put my other running shoes out on my patio to air dry after an eleven miler.  The result?  A funky (not the Parliament Funk) pair of shoes after just one long run, yes one run.  Cannot make that same mistake twice, so with the Landreths I placed them in the washing machine.  Oh no you may be crying out in your head, the death to my shoes.  I'm willing to wager that it is much worse to try to spray my shoes with some artificial odor killer than to simply let them handle the wash.  

Hear me out before you offer a total conviction on all counts.  

First off, I wash them with all my sweaty towels and running clothes from the day.  This means that the shoes should not have to hit up against the hard washer interior too much.  I also use a mild detergent like the Sports Tide or a liquid detergent.  Also, I use cold water.  I notice cold water works just as well as hot so long as the clothes, towels and shoes have not set around too long before washing.  This is a same day exercise to be sure.  Then I set the shoes on my back patio.  Not too sunny, but pretty warm and the shoes dry in about three hours.  I think they'll last longer, since they will not have dirt and grime build up, which must break the shoes down as much as a weekly visit to my washing machine.  It's worth it to me to risk one pair of shoes to see how this method will work. 

Or you could try this method of washing your shoes, but I don't like applying brushes to my shoes.

 

I'm simply sick and tired of funky shoes before a run.  And this Texas heat is not going to give our shoes a break.  When I get done on Saturday mornings my shoes are soaked through from my sweat.  Nothing and no one deserves to endure that funk for too long.  Many spies would give up their secrets if faced with my shirt after a 10+ mile run.  I may give one of our intelligence agencies a call and offer my services.  

This Saturday another hot 16 miler and then back to the washing machine for my Asics Landreth 7.  Never, never stop running.

And if you have the time, watch this before the Olympics Marathon.

Am I a Real Runner? - List of Great Running Movies (read on...)

So I'm waiting on the next rainy weekend in Dallas.  I may be waiting for sometime since it rained a little on Sunday, and that's usually all we're going to get.  But, if another one shows up this year, I plan to stay at home, pop some organic popcorn, sit my family down and make them all watch a day's worth of running movies with me.  The wife just rolls her eyes and endures the hard runner's silly interests, but my kids... oh my kids are still at that wonderful age where just being around me is all they want.  Naturally, I take every opportunity to exploit that like any good father should.

At 3:30 this morning, while soaking my legs, I decided to search for a list of movies about running, in anticipation of our next rainy weekend.  It took a while, but I did find a cool running blog that just so happened to have a list of running movies.  As I reviewed the list I was pleased to notice that I had not yet seen a good many of these.  Gives me something to look forward to.  Then my runner's pride set in and I said to myself, "just how do you call yourself a runner, if you haven't seen these?"  Dang that pride!

Well, I estimate that I've seen about 30% of these.  What about you?  I would appreciate your comments on your percentage and your all time favorite running movie.

Christina from Phoenix put it this way on her blog.

I found running movies and running documentaries that I had seen but many more that I had never heard of. (I've seen 39% of the movies on the list). 

She has done a pretty good job of giving us a full list of running movies.  Some may think movies like Forest Gump fit the running movies genre loosely.  I say, let's make some room for any flick where the lead spends a good portion of the film running even if he's got crazy, Elvis legs. 

Never, never stop running.