4.3 miles

Yesterday was my longest run since I’ve began blogging, and it was one of the best I’ve had.

I ran a loop from Belmont up to Irving Park along the lakefront and finished going south past Wrigley Field. Below is my route:

Run 7: 3.66 Miles

Yesterday evening’s run was very smooth and relaxing. I slowed down my pace and extended my mileage to continue to try to build my endurance. I got home late from work and wasn’t able to start my run until about 8:15, when the weather cooled down about 20° (from the 90° high!).

Here was my route:

Run 6: 3.36 Miles

To finish off my day, I ran a little shy of three and a half miles. This was the longest that I’ve run thus far and it was exhausting. On the bright side though, no shin splints today!

Here was my route:

Tracking your run

I’m adamant about tracking my mileage and any calories that I’ve been able to lose. I have found 2 tools that are perfect for both:

Gmaps Pedometer

Gmaps pedometer is a free hack that uses Google’s mapping application to help record distances traveled and calories burned during a workout (running/walking). I absolutely love this application and frequently include screenshots on this blog that I’ve created using the Gmaps pedometer. In fact, using the hybrid option, I’m even able to track my mileage on the Chicago Lakefront trail as I can follow the streets that I’ve run down until I reach the trail, and then draw my course down the trail to get an idea of the total mileage that I’ve covered. This tool also includes a calorie counter (sorry bikers and skaters – only applicable for runners and walkers), that tracks how many calories you have shed based upon your weight and the distance that you’ve traveled.

Nike + ipod Sport Kit

Nike + ipod sport kit

The Nike + ipod sport kit is a a device measuring and recording the distance and pace of a walk or run that is compatible with the Nike + shoes and ipod Nano.  All Nike + shoes have a built-in pocket beneath the insole of the shoe where a sensor can be placed that communicates with the receiver, which is placed in the ipod and collects and records data from your run. When your run is complete and you sync your ipod back into a computer, the data from your run integrates directly with the Nike website, and a picture of your pace throughout the run is created. If you already have the shoes and an ipod nano, the Nike + ipod sports kit will set you back about $30.

Fighting shin splints

I ran the 2.71 mile loop yesterday by the Chicago Lakefront. The majority of the run was smooth, but my left shin was in pain toward the end of my run. I knew it was shin splints.

I’ve been overstriding during my runs, and changing surfaces (concrete, blacktop, limestone trail), which I attribute as the primary causes of the shin splints.

To recover quickly from shin splints, follow these tips:

1. Ice legs after a run.
2. Ingest some aspirin or ibuprofen with food.
3. Wrap a heating pad around your leg in the evening.
4. Stretch by doing Wall pushups.

Shin splints tend to occur more often as new (or in my case, out-of-shape)runners begin to become acclimated with running. There’s also a chance that your shoes may be worn down (new shoes every 500 miles!) and that you may not have the best type of shoe for your feet. If this is the case, you may want to check out this article on finding the right running shoe.

Around the pier

After work I skated down to (and around) Navy Pier, bringing my milage for the week to about 28. I took Thursday off and Friday is a holiday, so I’m going to try to make a run at a 100 mile week.

Below is the route I took yesterday:

Down to the taste

My roommate and I headed down to the Taste of Chicago yesterday. I was on my skates and he was on his bike for almost 15 miles. Normally, the route would be a little shorter, but we had to go north to Sheridan to stay out of the Pride Parade’s route.

Below is our route:

The most important meal of the day

An interesting article from the NBC10 (Philadelphia) website discusses some of the benefits from a big breakfast diet:

Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz of the Hospital de Clinicas in Venezuela said an overall low-carb diet may cause a quick weight loss, but pounds come back quickly, as well. Only 5 percent of carb-restrictive diets are successful after two years, she said….

All told, those on the new diet lost more than 21 percent of their body weight, compared with just 4.5 percent for the low-carb group.

For more information, check out “Big Breakfast Key to Weight Loss, Doc Says” at the NBC10 website.

On the road

I was traveling last week for work, so I brought my skates with me and made it out in Elmwood Park, IL and Mt. Vernon, IL, far from the familiar Chicago Lakefront trail, but enjoyable nonetheless.

In Elmwood Park, my trip was about 13.5 miles to Berwyn and back:

In Mt. Vernon, I didn’t venture too far due to the road conditions, so I plotted out an impromptu 1.3 mile loop course and did 5 intervals for a total of about 9.3 miles.

Overall, it was a 45+ mile week on the skates. I’m going to try to push for 70 and 100 mile weeks over the next two weeks to maximize the amount of weight I’m able to lose while on the Master Cleanse Diet.

24 mile weekend

I skated to Navy Pier today and on Saturday, each being about 12 miles round trip. Today’s trip was pretty smooth and took about an hour. On Saturday, however, I was affected by the heat and came down with heatstroke. It will be really important that I’m monitoring my fluids as the heat rises and I step up my workouts.