Untamed Runner

I just returned from another trip to the desert. My dad and I decided to take a trip to California for a few days and much of it was spent in Death Valley, along with some time right outside the park boundaries. We also stayed a night in Lone Pine, which is the mile 122 time station of the Badwater Ultramarathon. Running in the desert is something I find both exhilarating and soothing, so getting out there is a welcome opportunity.

Last year, I was able to run part of the Badwater course near Furnace Creek in Death Valley. My total travels on that trip took me as far west as Stovepipe Wells. By staying in Lone Pine and then going into Death Valley, I was able to see the rest of the Badwater course in person (except for the final small chunk of the Whitney Portal road), and run another small piece of it.

When I stepped out for my run in Lone Pine, the temperature was somewhere around thirty degrees. This was not so bad but the wind was howling. Having brought shorts, a light long sleeved shirt, and a hat, I was underprepared and resorted to clutching the ends of the sleeves in my hands to protect them. However, with that kind of wind there’s really no warmth with that method, it just keeps the skin covered. Since it’s not every day I get to run in Lone Pine, I pushed ahead, running from a little south of Lone Pine to partway up the Whitney Portal road. While the temperature was cold, it wasn’t enough to create any concern. I could warm up in the hotel room later.

The Whitney Portal road is a steady climb and it’s difficult to imagine what would be going through a runner’s mind after 122 miles of grueling desert heat and knowing you’ve got 13 miles of up. That’s a tough run no matter when you tackle it, even first thing in the morning with two fresh cups of coffee in your system.

The next morning I ran at Death Valley Junction which sits at 3,000 feet above sea level. Unlike Lone Pine or Furnace Creek, there is next to no traffic on this road. It’s surrounded by miles of desert and distant mountains, almost no human structures, and is quiet and serene. It epitomizes the idea of running in the desert.

Why desert running? I enjoy running to the point where I can do laps in a hotel parking lot and be content, but there are places I prefer and the desert is one of them. The surroundings are magnificent. It’s also the case that there is a solitude and tranquility to it that’s hard to top. I can run and soak in everything around me, I can push myself to faster speeds, but whatever I choose, there are no distractions around to push me in an unintended direction. It’s solely about the run and my capabilities.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Hammer Gel Montana Huckleberry: I am not familiar with Montana Huckleberry flavor (I’ve had the barbecue sauce version) but this had a pleasant “berry” flavor and was good enough in terms of energy. Like other Hammer Gels, it was easy to take down.

Yomif Kejelcha missed the indoor mile world record this past weekend by .01 seconds which, in terms of how they measure the mile record, is as close as you can get to it without tying or breaking it.

Records and goal times can be tricky things to obtain. Especially if you’re up against your limits, there are many things that have to fall into place to achieve certain performances. I’ve had my fair share of near-misses on goal times. The most prominent two would be in my attempts to run a sub-3:10 marathon which at the time, would have qualified me for Boston.

I ran 3:11:30 and 3:11:43 in two marathons. For the 3:11:30, I was on pace to run 2:55 until I hit a wall at mile 19 that made the Wall in Game of Thrones look like a speed bump. To not be able to force my way to a sub-3:10 finish was irritating, to say the least. When I ran the 3:11:43 at a much better-sustained pace, multiple pit stops in the first 13.1 miles due to too much pre-race fluid intake was the biggest factor in my near miss.

While going for a certain time or record, there are many things that can throw you off. My examples above were more due to the poor planning of a 21 year old runner. For professional runners, it could be hired pacers not performing as expected or a strange turn in the weather. Since it was clear that my legs were capable of getting me to my goal, I made adjustments, kept at it, and finally posted a 3:06. (Boston has since changed their qualifying times due to the popularity of the event.)

Which brings me to the near-miss of this past weekend. The indoor mile world record still stands at 3:48.45 and Kejelcha posted a 3:48.46. How does this compare against other near-misses? Mine were .0079406632% or 337 meters/369 yards and .0090750436% or 385 meters/421 yards off my goal time. Both are less than one lap on a track. For a 26.2 mile race, that’s fairly close. (These calculations of how far off I and these others were are based on the average pace of the entire race. It’s possible we were closer or further off depending on how fast we were running at the end.)

Two other notable, and professional-level, ones come to mind.

In 2016, Eliud Kipchoge won the London Marathon in 2:03:05. The world record was 2:02:57 and you could tell by the look on his face that the record was well within his reach. However, in order to get the win, he ran in a way that got him first place. This was smart in terms of victory, but it did leave him and others wondering if he could have taken down the record that day. How far off was he? .0010844517% or 52 meters/57 yards.

In 2012, Mike Morton won the Badwater Ultramarathon in 22:52:55, which was 86 seconds off the course record of 22:51:29. The end of Badwater is a 4-mile climb and after 22 hours of a grueling desert run, your gas tank will be on fumes. In an interview later, he didn’t express any huge regret over not hitting that time. There’s no prize money, no course record bonus, and the main objective at Badwater is to finish, so it’s primarily the sense of accomplishment. How far off was he? .0010450977% or 228 meters/249 yards.

This past weekend, Kejelcha was .000043773254541% off. In fact, LetsRun.com calculated that he was 7.62 centimeters/3 inches shy and had he not drifted slightly into lane 2 on the final stretch, he may have gotten the record.

Not achieving a goal time can be frustrating and yet there can be context. Kipchoge still won London in a course record. Morton still won an iconic ultramarathon. When I posted the 3:11:43, I ran a negative split, meaning I ran the second half faster than the first half. Even factoring in the pit stops, I was pleased with that, given that I didn’t hit a massive wall and my pacing was much better than the prior attempt. Sure, we may wish things had tilted a little more in our favors to get us what we really wanted that day, but given the difficulty of some of these professional events and the limits that these folks are up against, it’s helpful to balance out the frustration and use it as fuel.

Kejelcha has said he plans to go after the record again, and in the 5000 meters. Maybe, similar to Kipchoge’s eventually snagging the marathon world record, he will get one or more of these.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race):  Hammer Gel Apple Cinnamon: This was fine, kind of like the inside of an apple-cinnamon pastry. I didn’t feel any significant boost from it so I wouldn’t use it as a go-to gel, but if it were the only thing on a course and I needed something, I’d be okay with using it.

References used:

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2019/02/oh-so-close-yomif-kejelchas-misses-breaking-mile-world-record-by-01-of-a-second-at-2019-millrose-games/

https://www.irunfar.com/2012/08/interview-with-mike-morton-2012-badwater-135-champion.html

http://www.badwater.com/event/badwater-135/

https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a20794065/kipchoge-narrowly-misses-world-record-in-london-marathon-win/

This is a combination of a brief overview of why the food reviews appear as they do, a small announcement, and extra food reviews.

Running nutrition products are basically designed to give you a boost during longer workouts. There will be minute differences among all the gels and chews and they can be produced with slightly different purposes in mind, such as in-workout use, recovery, etc.

There are some bigger differences. For example, some have caffeine, generally ranging from 25-50 mg though they go up to 100mg. The margarita flavored Clif Bloks have triple sodium which is beneficial on a very hot day. These types of differences show up on the front of the packaging.

That being said, I take a fairly casual approach to running foods as they should all give you energy. When choosing running nutrition, I’m looking at three factors in this order: does my GI handle it well, how does it taste, and does it give me energy. It may seem odd that the energy boost would be last (and I’m sure some people would consider the energy factor to be more important than the flavor). However, even if I don’t feel a boost, I am taking in calories and in theory it should be providing some benefit, even if it’s not obvious. If the taste is terrible, I won’t be too happy but I can handle it. If it creates GI issues, that’s more difficult to run through.

For the announcement:

Going forward, the Running Pantry will be organized by food type (gel, chews, drinks, etc.) and then by brand. For example, all Gu gel products will be listed together in the same section as Clif Shots, and the Gu Chews will be listed together in the same category as Honey Stinger Waffles. That should be more useful for people looking for comparisons.

On those notes, here are the food reviews for this week (note–gels, bars, chews, sports drinks and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race):

Hammer Gel Peanut Butter: Hammer Gel is traditionally thinner than other gel products whereas peanut butter is a very thick food. I was worried that the texture would be a little off but I was curious and gave it a try. I’ve never had runny peanut butter but this was what it tasted like. For energy and flavor, it’s fine. For a bizarre culinary experience, it takes a top prize.

Gu Roctane Tutti Frutti: Imagine taking every sugary item from a carnival or a circus and combining it into one gooey product. That’s what this tasted like. I’ve leave it to you to decide whether that’s a good thing. On the energy side, it was a solid product though, to tip my hand on the flavor, I won’t be eating it again.

Honey Stinger Gold: I think this was meant to be honey but with energy enhancement. It tasted like honey but was not quite as thick. I used it on a day where it was blowing snow but I only had shorts. At every underpass, I would stop, dry my legs off, then run like mad to the next underpass. It was similar to running a 800/1600 interval training workout. In any event, I felt good the whole way, in spite of my legs being cold. It was also a good reminder to pack tights in the wintertime, especially when you’re on the fence on whether you’ll need them. The run would have been ten times more pleasant.

Boston has released their elite field for 2019, the Dubai Marathon is later this month, and Mo Farah has committed to the 2019 London Marathon. Though earnest training for summer races may still be some ways away for many people, runners getting ready to compete in the early to middle spring will be at least mapping out their schedules. This is all to say that training is either beginning or right around the corner for many people.

I’ve been reading “Running with the Buffaloes” by Chris Lear, an account of the University of Colorado cross country team’s 1998 season. They granted him an impressive amount of access to the athletes, coaches, and workouts. Besides being a compelling narrative (and I won’t reveal any major spoilers) there have been some other key takeaways for me that are helpful as general training reminders.

Going into the season, the coach and team believed they were destined for a great year. Their individual summer running/training had gone well and their fitness was solid. In spite of that, the team endured a fair number of injuries during the season. Some were minor, some were major. This was a helpful reminder that training rarely goes perfectly in terms of how your body will respond. Maybe a nagging pain creeps up, maybe you have to sit out for a few days due to illness, etc. While you generally don’t lose fitness for 7 to 10 days during inactivity, you also won’t be gaining any during that downtime. But, maybe you can at least pick back up where you left off.

The other interesting area was the number of adjustments that the coaches made or considered making during the season for training. The head coach, Mark Wetmore, had a tried and true coaching method well before that season (and he still does), he knew his athletes and their abilities, and he had created a training schedule that would allow them to reach their maximum capability.

Wetmore definitely stuck with the overall plan, but many of the specifics got adjusted throughout the season. In one case, he cut off a workout early because the athletes simply weren’t performing well enough. It wasn’t punitive, it was more a realization that the athletes were tired, the weather was terrible, and pushing them through the workout wouldn’t help anything, especially considering that they were already in phenomenal shape.

These are some things to keep in mind, at least for me, going forward. While none of the basic information was new, it’s always helpful to remember that even the best athletes may have minor setbacks during their training. And, while you want to keep to the training schedule as closely as possible and there are times when it’s appropriate to push through, it may also be that adjustments have to be made.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Honey Stinger Strawberry Kiwi: The good thing about Honey Stinger is that there’s usually a strong honey flavor which masks any other flavors that might be unpleasant. The downside is that it hard to tell what flavor you have. This may have tasted like Strawberry Kiwi, but mostly I tasted honey. I’m okay with that as I’m not generally a kiwi fan. It also has 32 mg of caffeine. I liked this and it did the job. I’m not sure I would buy it again, in that there are other honey stinger flavors I like better, even if they’re barely detectable, but if a race was handing them out, I’d be good with it.

References used:

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2019/01/10/elite-field-set-for-2019-boston-marathon

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/20/sport/mo-farah-london-marathon-2019-scli-gbr-spt-intl/index.html

http://www.dubaimarathon.org/

It’s 8:30 in the morning on New Year’s Day, it’s three degrees, there’s snow on the ground, and I’m on the trail running west to meet one of my friends so we can do 4 or 5 miles. Because of the slick conditions, I’ve got on YakTrax which slow me down. I’m weighed down with the extra gear and clothes, this is a far cry from my preferred temperature, and an even further cry from my preferred extreme temperature.

While this isn’t the coldest temperature I’ve ever run in, once you get below ten degrees it all feels terrible. The only difference is that once it’s sub-zero, I start wearing an additional layer on top of already thick and/or multiple layers.

When my friend and I were texting to set the run up, I told him that running on days like today really only serves one purpose: to make you tougher as a runner. Setting aside that I enjoy running all the time, these conditions really only do serve that purpose but I see two benefits. One, it’s unlikely that race conditions will be any worse and they likely will be better. Either way, I’ve been out in them so it’s not a completely alien feeling on race day. Two, I feel it gives me a mental edge when I’m out on the race course. One could argue that going to an indoor track or running on a treadmill at a much faster pace and getting a hard workout in prepares you better for a race. This is a good alternative, but I still err on the side of going out in the rough conditions as mental toughness plays a big role in running.

I’m fortunate to be running with someone as there’s a big benefit to doing so and that’s especially true on certain runs, like speed workouts or in horrible weather conditions. If you can find someone willing to do run with you, it can take your mind off of the weather and/or how you’re feeling, and you’re working with someone through a less-than-ideal experience.

Whatever race I have next this is one run I’ll be able to remember and rely on in terms of mental fortitude when it gets tougher towards the end. Warmer temperatures are forecast for the rest of the week, so more typical conditions are forthcoming.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Clif Blok Tropical Punch: These were outstanding. The flavor was excellent, there was a little caffeine book (25 mg) and I felt like I could have gone for many more miles and at a faster pace. However, I had to get back to my desk, so I’ll just have to pick up another pack of these and see how far I can push it next time.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race):

Gu Complete Christmas Turkey Dinner Flavor: I’m totally kidding. This doesn’t exist. Read on…

I’ll do a couple of not so traditional food reviews first:

Mountain Dew: This is not a standard athletic energy food but I have used it during a couple of long races and it has a nice caffeine boost. If you like the Dew, it may be worth it.

Taco Bell: This is in the context of a night-before-the-race meal. Twice recently I’ve had Taco Bell at night and then I had a phenomenal training run the next day, which surprised me. I’m not quite willing to do this before a race, but I am considering it…

Now the traditional running rood reviews:

Gatorade Rain Berry: This has the scent of a floral bouquet but has a light berry taste. I enjoyed this. It’s part of their Frost line and it sat well in my stomach, so I could see using it during a race.

Honey Stinger Energy Chews Cherry Cola: I don’t know the last time I had a Cherry-flavored soft drink but this tasted like the ones I remember. I felt good, in spite of a light breakfast earlier that day.

Clif Bloks Strawberry: Maybe I’ve lost my taste for strawberry products but this one was odd. To be fair, I didn’t feel all that great the morning I used it. My head hurt, I had run really hard the night before, and my stomach was feeling odd. I ran strong the whole way back so that’s a testament to this being a solid product. If you’re not in it for the taste (and it didn’t taste bad) then this is a good one.

Hammer Gel Tropical: This tasted like a tropical smoothie; it’s phenomenal. A little caffeine boost, too (25 mg). I’d run the night before and was doing six miles on a lunch run and felt as fresh as if I’d had a day off. This is good stuff.

Several weeks ago, I lost my casual sunglasses. Normally I would have made a quick replacement purchase but then something occurred to me. There was a solution that might cost a little more but would solve another running dilemma that I had been pondering.

I ran for roughly ten years before investing in a pair of running sunglasses. I eventually bought a pair as I was moving to Colorado and was told that with the abundant sunshine, especially when it has recently snowed, they’re essential. This is true. Eventually, my first pair wore out and I purchased a replacement pair. The brand is Tifosi.

For everyday sunglasses a sport style (where the frames don’t wrap all the way around the lenses) doesn’t cut it for me. For running I prefer it as it allows for much better peripheral vision. My current Tifosis are the sport style, they have a neon green frame (which may help a little with being visible), and the lenses darken and lighten depending on the intensity of the light. Strictly for running purposes, these are outstanding. For everyday wear, they’re a little intense.

When I travel, I have always debated whether to pack my running sunglasses. Bringing them in their case, which would protect them, would take up a fair amount of room in my backpack and I try to travel light. Also, I don’t want to risk them getting damaged by putting them loose in my backpack.

This is where, when I lost my casual pair, an everyday and travel solution in the name of Goodr came in. The brand is relatively new to the running market and their “thing” is that they make inexpensive ($25-35) running sunglasses with polarized lenses.

When purchasing my Tifosi glasses I had not considered Goodrs because the frames wrap all the way around the lenses. Unlike the sport style, the Goodrs work well for everyday wear in that the look, while a little out there, isn’t nearly as intense. The casual polarized sunglasses I bought in the past ran $16-20 so the Goodrs were only a little more. Even better, I had a solution for having running sunglasses when I travel as I could just wear/carry the Goodrs like I would my normal sunglasses.

For running, the Goodrs are excellent. They don’t give me quite the peripheral vision that I prefer but I can see well enough and the benefits of having them when I travel outweigh having the frames all the way around. Though they don’t darken and lighten like the Tifosis, they sit very well on top of my head so that when I’m going through an underpass or darker patch, I just push them back, then drop them in front of my eyes again when I need them. Other casual sunglasses I wore sometimes needed some break-in time if they squeezed my head but the Goodrs fit like a glove on day one.

I had thought about comparing Tifosi and Goodr for a post but the reality is that the pairs I own are two completely different products and each serve their purpose well.

Different sunglasses work well for different people, and we have our own sense of styles. But, there are plenty of options out there and you may be able to combine uses with them. (Generally I am vehement about keeping running products for running only; for sunglasses I make an exception.)

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Clif Shot Double Espresso: Wow. This stuff has 100mg of caffeine and tastes like rich coffee ice cream. However, be prepared for the caffeine and make sure you need it. It hit me in what seemed like seconds. I took it before I was going to run and while putting on my running clothes, I could feel it. Besides that, it did its job well and I could feel the caffeine effects through my run.

(Edited from original post to remove duplicate heading and add running food review disclaimer.)

Before diving into anomalies, I just learned this week that I’ve been accepted to run on the 2019 Runners Roost Race Team. It involves racing a certain number of times during 2019 as well as volunteering in the running community and possibly with other traditional charities as part of the team. It’s an ambassador group on behalf of the Runners Roost brand and I’m looking forward to racing and working with them.

On to anomalies:

Will the 2:00:00 barrier be broken in the marathon? Most likely. When will this occur? There are three possibilities. The time will be slowly chipped away over the next several years, or someone will develop a new and unique strategy for attacking the time and be successful, or someone will have the race of their life and go sub-two. If the last possibility sounds the least likely or absurd, maybe it is, but maybe not.

There have been multiple performances by runners where they inexplicably ran far better than they did prior to that race. They all were experienced, usually professional runners so they already had many miles and races on their feet. Making that kind of jump in time could not just be a matter of having shown some promise as a runner and then getting into a better training program. And,considering that following this remarkable race their times never got close to it again, it raises the possibility that some runners may just have a once-in-a-lifetime race where everything clicks exactly the way they need at the exact right time and they exceed their normal expectations. Here are two examples.

In 2014, Dennis Kimetto set the world record in the marathon of 2:02:57. In spite of more well-regarded marathoners competing during and after that time, it was still four years before it was lowered to 2:01:39. Kimetto set the record at the Berlin Marathon. Coming into the race, he had an impressive resume but he also had never completed a marathon. Following his world record race, he has entered eight marathons and finished three with times of 2:05:50,2:11:44, and 2:14:55. It’s possible he has choked, or it’s also possible that he had the race of his life at the exact right moment.

Paula Radcliffe’s stunning marathon record of 2:15:25 in 2003 is probably the best well-known example of an exceptional running performance. Radcliffe had been and remained a phenomenal runner. There’s no doubt she could handle the pressure of being a top-tier competitor. Her second and third best times were 2:17:18 and 2:17:42. What’s interesting here is that the next fastest women’s marathon time after Radcliffe’s is 2:17:01 (women’s-only race world record), set in 2017 by Mary Keitany, and Radcliffe’s next-fastest two times are close to that. The 2:15:25 points to how dominant that run is in the context of the women’s marathon but it also suggests that Radcliffe had the race of her life at the right moment given that her next times were both around two minutes off her record. (Note: Radcliffe holds the world record for the marathon but they distinguish it from the 2:17:01 world record. Radcliffe was in the same race as the male marathoners and Keitany was not running among male competitors. In theory, Radcliffe could have paced off of men the whole race whereas Keitany was limited by traditional pacing rules and ran alone. For that reason, they distinguish the records.)

Back to a sub- 2:00:00 possibility. Dennis Kimetto’s second-best marathon timeis 2.3% slower than his fastest, Radcliffe’s is 1.39%.

With the current world record at 2:01:39, 1:59:59 just happens to be 1.38% faster than that. Did Eliud Kipchoge have a transcendent race that seemed beyond his normal capabilities when he ran the world record of 2:01:39? Possibly, but everyone knew he was capable of breaking the world record prior to that. Shattering it like he did was not expected and he ran an epic race, but considering he ran 2:00:25 in record-ineligible conditions, it wasn’t a shocking time.

The second fastest marathon time, 2:02:57, is 2.4% off of 1:59:59 and the third-fastest, 2:03:03, is 2.5%. Both are close to the percentages of other marathon performances where the runner seemingly rose above what they were predicted to run. Of course, the faster one gets, the more difficult it is to shave additional time and Radcliffe’s 1.3% might be a more realistic boundary for the top runners. It would take someone with Kipchoge or Keninisa Bekele’s ability to pull it off. I’m not making the argument that this is likely and there’s a reason that it’s easy to isolate cases like Dennis Kimetto and Paula Radcliffe, but if athletes occasionally have performances that transcend what they’re usually capable of, maybe it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Coffee Caramel Honey Stinger Waffle: There is a strong coffee flavor which I enjoy, accented by the caramel. It does have caffeine, which is appropriate. I used this after a 10K race and before a 3-mile cool down.Considering I had just raced, this worked very well as I felt good the whole time. Like other waffles, I would prefer to use this either before or after a run as it is a solid food.

Sources used:

https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a20823734/these-are-the-worlds-fastest-marathoners-and-marathon-courses/
http://www.letsrun.com
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/apr/20/paula-radcliffe-london-marathon-record

In the U.S. we’re very close to the long holiday season which starts later this month. It’s also the period when it’s easiest to deviate from exercise and workout routines. This is understandable as our evenings get tied up with holiday-themed functions and weekends get tied up with decorating and shopping. At workplaces, we’re trying to wrap up the calendar year on a shortened schedule as the business will be closed multiple days during the season. For some runners during this period of time, it may be that their three day a week plan goes to one or zero. For others it may be that their fifty miles per week turns into thirty.

If your running tends to slide or drop off during busy times, even if it’s not a holiday season, there are a few things to keep in mind. For an example for the sake of this post, let’s head for the middle and say your goal is to run four days per week for thirty to forty-five minutes but you’re not sure you can keep that up between late November and early January.

The beauty of running is that with the exception of walking, it’s the easiest form of exercise for people to do in terms of its logistics. You don’t need a bike, a gym, a pool, a court, multiple people to make up a team, etc. As long as you have shoes and a surface to run on, you can get out there.

Short of keeping up with your planned goal, what are some ways to still work running into your schedule?

1. Be flexible on the amount of time you run. If you’re squeezed for time, getting out for part of your normal route or a portion of your planned time is better than nothing. It won’t sustain the level you achieved or hope for though it will make getting back to that level easier than if you had opted to not run.

2. Be flexible on when you run. If your schedule is going to be interrupted, see if you can squeeze in a short one during a time of day when you don’t normally run. Maybe you can run on your lunch break, then eat a sandwich over your keyboard later. Or, you maybe you can plan to get up a few minutes earlier or take a quick run in the evening.

3. Be flexible on the number of times per week you run. If you can’t run four times for one week, try to do three, two, or even one. Like point number one, it’s better than throwing in the towel completely and you’ll maintain your fitness much better.

4. Check out local holiday-themed races. There are Turkey Trots and Jingle-Bell dashes all over the place. If there’s one close to you, it can be a fun way for you or a family to spend a morning. The best part is that if you have an event like that on the calendar, you’ll be more likely to keep up your running routine so that you’re prepared for it.

5. If you have kids and a running stroller, use running as an excuse to get them out, even if it’s really so that you can get out. Or, if they’re overloaded on treats or family time and are close to (or in the middle of) a holiday meltdown, this is a prime opportunity to strap them into the stroller and go get some fresh air while they calm down and possibly even sleep. (Do check that they’re old enough/big enough to safely ride in a running stroller.)

Enjoy the upcoming weeks. If you do keep to your schedule or a partial schedule, you will likely feel much better about having done so. Also, once January hits and the fitness resolutions are in full swing, you’ll be several steps ahead of everyone else.

Next time, the distance running GOAT…

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Clif Bloks Tropical Fruit Punch. These taste pretty good and they have a caffeine boost. I started my run using these planning to go an easy three. However, it was over 90 degrees so if you’ve read some of my previous material, you’ll know I decided to boost the mileage–a whole whopping mile and a half to make it 4.5 (I was on my lunch break and had a race three days later–two reasons to not extend myself.) Back to the Bloks. I ate them around 15 minutes before I left and washed them down with water. They worked.