First Class Comfort, a review of Hoka One One Bondi 4

Hoka One One Bondi 4


This is Hoka's road shoe, though one imagines that it can probably handle the trail's as good as any non-trail running shoe can.  The most surprising feature of any Hoka shoe for first-timers is the amount of cushioning the shoe has considering it's designed for "man-made surfaces".  As someone who particularly concerned about lessening the amount of impact my legs take during marathon season, I am naturally drawn to this sort of shoe.  Now the drawback you get from going with is that you're probably sacrificing some speed (note: Meb wasn't wearing trail shoes when he won Boston).  How much speed is a different matter.  For me I think the difference is negligible over the course of anything more than a 5k race, but that's what I think.  I found the "fit" (admittedly highly subjective) to be just right.
So the buzz work for a shoe like this is comfort.  I'd say it's first class comfort considering how much impact the cushioning absorbs... and yes, considering the price-tag as well.  At nearly $200 CAD the Hoka shoe is an investment--one that I happen to think is well worth it if you can afford it.  As for me, I plan to make that investment as often as needed.

On the subject of hillwork

I remember ascending the long span of the Williamsburg Bridge from the Brooklyn side, the way my heart rate shot up, how my leg muscles struggled for oxygen and how I couldn't seem to make it, at first, without stopping.  Granted, I stopped only for a few seconds--eventually I wouldn't have to stop at all.  I did that particular run quite a few times because it was the toughest thing I could thing to do.  I did it in the rain and snow, when it was hot and when it was freezing.  If I had to point to one of the reasons I was able to run a sub-2 hour half marathon in Burlington, Ontario in March of 2014, I think my choice would be my hillwork.
Of course Saskatoon has nothing that will mimic the challenge of the Williamsburg Bridge, but it does have the steep slope of MacPherson Avenue from Saskatchewan Crescent to Main Street.  That stretch stretches roughly 500 metres and is as steep as the aforementioned bridge, if not nearly as long.  My hillwork this winter has already begun to pay dividends, and I look forward to doing more of it.

Countdown to the Hypothermic Half Marathon and Super Bowl

We are two weeks away from Super Bowl Sunday.  Now one of the things I love about this particular Sunday is that I can pretty much eat whatever I want and justify it by pointing to the fact that this particular day comes once a year, just like Christmas, my birthday, New Years, New Years Eve, my spouse's birthday, each kid's birthday, Canada Day, Saskatchewan Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, Boxing Day, Victoria Day and all the other days when my diet seems to go out the window.  But seriously, for the dozen or so says per year when absolutely nothing is happening that could possibly threaten a diet, I tend to eat pretty well.  Jokes aside, I eat pretty well... mostly.  Ahem.

For Super Bowl Sunday, I'm thinking:

• nachos - with lime salt.
• guacamole dip (made from organic avocados) with chopped raw garlic
• dark chocolate
• black licorices
• coconut ice cream bars

This is all vegan, so there's that.

Of course, justifying this calorie expenditure won't be too hard because earlier in the day I will be running the Hypothermic Half Marathon here in Saskatoon.  I don't have any predictions for how fast I will be running this particular race.  I will say that I'm not expecting to come in under 2 hours--this is primarily owing to the fact that this is mainly a tune-up race to see where I am overall.   For example, right now I'm building up leg strength so that when I do take a shot at < 1:59:59 again my hamstrings won't tear.

Speaking of hamstrings, I've been going pretty hard at bodyweight exercises lately (squats, push-ups, planking and the occasional lunge and side lunge).  I'm fairly confident that I've put on at least two to three pounds of muscle this month, if not more, given that my weight (currently 181.6) hasn't budged in several weeks and my waistline continues to shrink, albeit ever so slightly.

So that's the news!

Brainsport's Run Club Review & Happy 25th Brainsport!

Quite a turnout at Brainsport!

A photo posted by John (@misterspalding) on Jan 20, 2016 at 4:06pm PST

Last night I ran with Brainsport's run club for the first time since 2014.  Since moving to Saskatoon I've bought nearly all my running shoes from Brainsport, including two pairs of Hokas recently, and I've purchased a fair amount of gear as well.  It's fairly evident to me that Brainsport really has not only become the premiere running store in Saskatoon (perhaps even Saskatchewan) but also the premiere run club as well, and here's why:
The first thing I noticed when I was parking my car on 10th Street was just how many people I saw in running gear on the sidewalks making their way to the store (most of them were actually running).  I felt like I was entering a church on Sunday morning.
Brainsport's owner and co-founder, Brian Michasiw, was on hand and made several announcements related to the store's 25th Anniversary, including a Las Vegas trip giveaway--note: I did not enter to win the trip.  Brian has won the Saskatchewan Marathon numerous times and is something of a running celebrity I think.
As it turned out Wednesday's run club meeting had nearly a dozen different pace groups, including run/walk, run and just walking groups.  I joined the C group, which ran a 6:00/k pace and was led by Brainsport Alumni Ian.  Sure enough we quickly knocked off nearly seven kilometres at that quick pace (I say quick because it was on snow, and many of us wore spikes).  Our fastest split was a 5:44.
It was a great deal of fun to be running with such enthusiastic and motivated people--so much so that our 42 minute run felt too short.

Inflammation Weight Redux

So my doctor prescribed a very strong anti inflammatory last week. Want to guess what happened within 24 hours? Yup, all that inflammation weight came off. Today I did an 18k on a indoor concrete track at the Shaw Centre (it was in the -30's outside), and although I felt pretty good after the run, there will be some new inflammation. I've since done 115 squats, 40 side lunges and 20 pulse lunges, along with some planking. The amount of protein I've consumed today is unreal.

Why do I gain weight after a long run?: 5 ways to reduce inflammation

It's the Monday morning after a long run and you step onto the scales to see how much you've lost in the past week, only when the digital display pops up with the usually pleasing red digital numbers... the resulting numbers are sometimes dismaying.  Why, for example, am I gaining five pounds post run?

To answer that question we are going to make a few assumptions.  First we are going to assume you are sticking to your diet, second we are going to assume that you are not taking weight gain supplements, and lastly we are going to assume that your weight scale is functioning within normal parameters.

One thing that happens to our muscles when we run is that they fatigue.  The longer/harder the run, the greater the fatigue.  When fatigue occurs our body will attempt to heal the micro-tears that occurs, and the combination of swelling and inflammation that results will invariably lead to some kind of weight gain.  The faster your recovery, the faster you'll drop the excess weight.

But what if I am marathon training?  If this is the case, then you're going to pack on a bit more inflammation.  It might be wise to reset your expectations but continue your weight loss plans.

Inflammation is but one enemy of a fairly well-trained athlete.  How you handle it will go a long way in determining both how well you're going to perform on race as well as how you'll perform in practice.

Here are some things I do to fight inflammation:

1. Compression - sleeves and socks that provide compression should help reduce swelling and inflammation.

2. Consumed chopped raw garlic.  Chop some raw garlic, wait ten minutes and then add it to a dish--avocado dip etc. Garlic is a natural anti-inflammatory.

3. Prescription strength anti-inflammatories can work wonders.  But the over-the-counter variety can be a post-run help as well.

4. Avoid processed foods and sugar. These consumables cause inflammation.

5. Ice.  In addition to the above, use ice to reduce inflammation.

I could also add rest to that list, but I think it's a bit of a no-brainer really.

3 Must-Have Items for Cold Weather Running

Don't you hate it when you search Google for a recipe, click on a link and then have to wade through paragraph after paragraph of droll content before getting what you want?  Me too.

I've compiled a pretty simple list of things that I find very useful on those long and cold runs that Saskatchewan runners have to deal with for nearly half the year.

1. Running Mittens - I personally thing mittens are better.  I spend about $55 at Running Room for a good pair.
2. Running Balaclava - Perhaps the hardest thing here is refueling when wearing a good balaclava.
3. Hand Warmers - Why? Because one of the best ways of tracking your run without freezing your phone into an iBrick is to keep it warm.  Hence...