Asics Gel Cumulus 15 Review

So true!

At the end of February I had determined I needed to switch out my Brooks Ghosts 6's as my left side of my foot kept really hurting after my runs. The outside of the shoes still looked brand new. Even the bottom tread was not too bad. It was the insides that started wearing down. These were my first pair of actual running shoes that I had gotten fitted for at the local running store. I have never experienced wearing down a shoe from the inside out. I'm estimating I had put around 400+ miles on them. It is recommended  that you retire your running shoes between 300 and 500 miles, so it was time.

I will admit it was a little hard retiring my Brooks Ghosts 6's. They carried me through many personal distance records including my first half marathon race. They are still sitting in my closet in a shoe box. I figure I can wear them just walking or when I do obstacle 5K races. -- Anyone else have an attachment to your running shoes? Hehe

Back to the new shoes-

Again I went to my local running store Off n'Running to get fitted for new shoes. I had a different sales person this time which I was happy about as I wanted to see if she had the same recommendations as the last guy I had consulted with. She analyzed my gait and came to the same conclusion. I have a normal arch with neutral foot alignment. So the shoe that they recommend for me is Neutral. Which is a nice cushioned shoe.

Asics Gel Cumulus 15

I had gone to the store half expecting to come out with a brand new pair of Brooks Ghosts 6's in maybe a new color. However, I was open to trying anything that they recommended. I tried on probably 5 pairs of shoes including the Brooks Ghosts 6's. I actually found I liked the Asics Gel Cumulus15's the best. They felt really nice. I especially liked the cushioning around my heels. So I went ahead and bought them for around $115.

I immediately took them out for our first miles together.  I ran a nice easy paced 5.44 miles. Overall the shoes felt pretty good. I did notice my toes felt like they were rubbing from underneath which I had never experienced with my other shoes. This went on for a couple of weeks and usually happened towards the end of my runs. Just when I wondered if I should take them back and try something different it stopped.

First time out of the box and hitting the asphalt

I'm glad I am reviewing them now because I think it took a couple of weeks to really break them in. I have about 150 miles on them now and I have absolutely no issues with them. They are very comfortable and have fantastic ankle support. The colors are fun and bring me back to when I was 5 and my favorite colors were pink and purple. My 2 year old loves them and when she sees me wearing them she says "Oh, pretty mama." I would definitely buy them again.

I just completed my 2nd half marathon race with these and have another race in a month that I will wear them in. Before I know it, it will be time to retire these. Who said running is cheap?!

I give these shoes 5 out 5 stars after 2 weeks of breaking them in. They get a 3 out of 5 until broken in.

Raleigh Rock ’n’ Roll 1/2

The big day finally came for the Inaugural Raleigh Rock ’n’ Roll 1/2 (4/13/2014). I had been training since the beginning of January with RunnerDude's Fitness. This was to be my second half marathon race and I wanted to do it in under 2 hours.

I loved training with a group and a coach this time around. It pushed me to do more speed work, which to my surprise I enjoyed. I also really loved meeting and getting to know other runners. Non-runners will only listen to you talk about running for so long before they glaze over.

As the race approached I started getting nervous about the elevation profile. Raleigh is a very hilly city. The Greensboro Half Marathon that I had done last year was also very hilly and I had been told this course would be about the same. I am going to state here that Raleigh was WAY worse! The hills just kept coming and they were not all rolling hills like I had been told, haha. The elevation gain for the half course was about 595 ft!

Elevation Profile from my Strava readout after the race

I had to get up super early to make sure to get parked and to meet up for a group picture before heading to my designated corral. We had stayed with friends in Raleigh, which worked out really well. I was lucky to have no issues getting into the city and parked.

RunnerDude's RNR Training Group 2014

Our  RunnerDude's Fitness training group met at 6 am for our group picture. Unfortunately our coach got stuck in traffic and did not make the picture.

I was assigned to run in corral 10. I had kept playing with the idea of running with the 2 hour pacer to help keep me on track. One of my fellow runners was also in corral 10. She told me she knows the 2 hour pacer and that she is really good. So she introduced me to Amanda and I moved up to corral 8 to run with her pacing group.

I loved running with the pacing group. It was really fun listening to their stories and feeding off their energy. We also ran with the marathon 4 hour pacers while they still ran the half course before branching off to do the marathon course. I was able to stay with the group until around mile 10.

The course was not bad at first. It had some rolling hills that were fine. Then from about mile 10 to the finish it was just one hill after another. I had done so well pacing to a 2 hour finish until then. The hills just started winning. It was sad to watch the pacing group getting farther and farther ahead but I made peace with it and knew at this point I had to just pace myself to finish the race. I still had a small hope that I would catch back up and somehow still manage at least a 2 hour finish.

The last 3 miles were the most epic miles I have ever ran. I was getting so tired and kept thinking after this hill we gotta be going downhill for a bit. But every corner we turned we met another massive hill. At one point I just wanted to cry but focused on all the months I had trained so hard for this. I passed runners that had started walking and were crying. The course hills were starting to break people. It was really heart breaking.

I just kept chipping away at the miles. I was getting slower and slower. Then an awesome thing happened. I noticed one of my sole sisters running ahead of me. I went over and said hi. We barley talked because at that point I was lucky to still even be running. But just seeing a familiar face helped keep me going.

A very sad moment was seeing the 2 hour mark rollover on my Garmin. My new goal was to beat my last half marathon finish of 2:06:44 to set a new race PR.

The last mile was the longest mile I have ever ran. I felt like everyone was passing me but I just did not have enough in me to go any faster. I finally reached the finish-line and my official time was 2:04:00. Wohoo! Still a PR! Not the sub 2 hour I was looking for, but damn I had done it. No regrets!

Here are my splits for the race:

I was on pace until mile 11.

As you can see by my GAP (Grade Adjusted Pace) it was a hilly one. -- According to Strava, Grade Adjusted Pace estimates an equivalent pace when running on flat land, allowing the runner to compare hilly and flat runs more easily. Because running uphill requires extra effort, the Grade Adjusted Pace will be faster than the actual pace run. When running downhill, the Grade Adjusted Pace will be slower than the actual pace.

I had some personal bests on this race according to Strava:

My best half marathon time was during training with a break at the halfway point.
So this really was my fastest Half Marathon run.

I learned that I am tougher than I ever knew. I'm so glad I had ran with the pacing group as I believe it really helped me make a better time than what I probably would have done on my own. I am so glad that I trained with Thad and  RunnerDude's Fitness. I met so many incredibly nice people that I hope to remain friends with and run with again.

In closing, I'm so glad I did the Inaugural Raleigh Rock ’n’ Roll 1/2. I don't think I will ever do it again as Raleigh hills can kiss it! Haha... I definitely plan to train with RunnerDude's Fitness again. My heart is filled with pride for my journey and for those that I trained with.

I know I will get that sub 2 hour. It's just a matter of time. I have 4 more tries this year!

Half Marathon #2 in the books!

Training Goes On

So I've been so busy with normal day life and training that I have not posted here in awhile.

I am happy to report that I am growing stronger in my running. I have shaved a good 30 seconds off of my normal pace. I love looking back at my runs from last year and seeing how far I have come.

I am really enjoying group runs and training with a coach (RunnerDude's Fitness). I think that has also helped me grow stronger. When I was training for my first half last year I would just run different distances. I never did any speed or hill work. My training plan from my coach this time around includes all kinds of different runs (tempo, progression, hills, etc.). I love the variety and the way it pushes me to go beyond what I thought was possible. You got to love that.

I am doing a photo a day for a year for 2014. So of course some of them include running. So here are a couple for your viewing pleasure.

Jan 18: Group Run with RunnerDude's Fitness.
We ran for #megsmiles, #megmiles

Jan 20: My strongest average pace yet.
I was proud to dedicate it to Martin Luther King Jr.

Feb 17: We got some snow in NC so many of the trails were icy.
So I decided to complete my Mom's Run This Town Winter Virtual
at the local park. I did 4 laps to make it a 10K race. I thought it
fitting for the theme of  "Start Your Engines". Laps like in a car race. 

Feb 24: Running some staggered hill repeats at lunch.

Feb 26: Had a wonderful group run. I had a 50 minute progression run
and ran my fastest mile yet. Then went out for pizza with some of the other
runners. I'm loving the team/group aspect.

 I just got new running shoes so I will be reviewing those shortly.

Growing Stronger

Training with a group is great. You get to know other runners. I love hearing their stories about when they started running, what races they have ran, and what their future goals are. I find it extremely motivating. It also reminds me how far I have come in my own journey.

I started my running journey last February. So as I approach my one year mark I want to think back to all I have accomplished. I ran two 4K's,  five 5K's, one 10K and a half marathon. Not too shabby for a non-runner. I think I've finally earned the title of runner :)

Last night I met with the running group (Runnerdude's) to do a 45 minute progression run. This is the first time I have ever done one. I think I did pretty well for my first time. I'm excited to see how I improve over the next couple months.

For a progression run you start out slow and build to a faster pace towards the middle of the run and then go all out in the end to about 90% of your max effort. I think I need to work on starting out a little slower. The middle section was a little rough because of a pretty good sized hill.

Overall I'm pretty proud of myself as this is a great starting point.

Racing in the Rain

Saturday I had a new experience. It was my first long run with my running group. I was excited and a little nervous. It had been awhile since I had run over 5 miles. I was scheduled to do 7 miles but had decided to do 8 since it is easier to know when to turnaround.

We meet to run at 7:30 am. It is still a little dark at that time during this time of year. The weather was also very yucky. At first it was just raining a normal drizzle. Quickly it turned into a torrential downpour with some gnarly thunder and lightning. Many in the group turned around once they heard the thunder and lightning.

I kept going as I felt relativity safe on the greenway as it runs through the trees with no open fields. Only one other lady finished her 8 miles too. We laughed and talked awhile until she just wanted to get the run done and ran ahead of me. I would have loved to keep up with her but I just could not move any faster. I felt twenty pounds heavier with all the water. My feet were soaked. The funny part was that I felt pretty good and not at all miserable.

Coming back, the greenway was like a river. It was crazy and a little fun all at once. It was like training for a mud run or obstacle course race.

I'm proud of myself for getting it done. I felt like a true bad ass runner :)

UFIT Program

While training this time around I want to be better about cross-training. I got Cindy Whitmarsh's Complete UFit program for Christmas.

I started it on December 30th. So far I am loving it. The workouts are 20 minutes and the program follows a calendar. Eventually you do 2 of the workouts a day and then work up to 3. I had to make my own calendar to include my half marathon training. I had to modify the program some so I will not burn myself out and likely injure myself. I wanted at least one full rest recovery day.

Since December 30th I have lost 7 pounds. What has really helped me jump-start my weight loss is logging everything I eat on MyFitnessPal. For the first time since before training for my first half, I feel completely in control of my diet and fitness. I just gotta keep up this momentum and work on making it a long term change.

Back to the UFit program...

 I've liked doing Cindy's videos for a while now. My favorites are 10 Days to a Better Body and Less is More. She is upbeat and the workouts are great. I love how she talks about the importance of nutrition. There is a meal plan included with the  program. I opted to log all my food instead. I may still consult it for some meal ideas.

About the program (direct from her site):

What is UFIT Training? It’s an intense interval training method that uses targeted intervals to turn your body into a calorie-burning machine while building a sleek, toned physique!

The Ultra Burn program gives you two, 20-minute workouts! Calorie Crusher is comprised of two-minute intervals. You start with one minute of high intensity cardio followed by one minute of lower intensity cardio. This innovative sequencing helps you burn maximum calories and get RESULTS! During the Stretch & Sculpt workout, you lengthen, stretch and totally tone your entire body. This workout is a great complement to the Calorie Crusher workout!

The Ultra Lean program is two, 20-minute segments. Upper Body Bliss is totally focused on shoulders, biceps and triceps to carve that tank top or bikini body. Lower Body Blast burns away those saddlebags and leaves you with a toned, lifted butt and shapely, strong legs.

The Ultra Tight program consists of two, 20-minute programs. Hard Body is a full body workout of three-minute circuits. There’s one minute of intense cardio, followed by two minutes of “trouble-spot-toning” strength training. You’ll zap fat and tighten EVERYTHING! With 6-Pack Abs, you get a cardio ab workout composed of one minute of cardio followed by one minute of middle-chiseling abwork that creates the flat tummy you want.

I'll review this more as I go along. I'm currently finishing up week 2.

Hello 2014

Well it has been a while. I kinda fell off the healthy wagon after my half. The holidays did not help the matter.

Like millions  of other people, my New Year's Resolution is to be more healthy and lose some weight. I'm currently signed up for three half marathons and two 5K Obstacle Races.  It's all about lining things up to help keep me motivated. You gotta know yourself.

My first half marathon for this year is the Inaugural Raleigh Rock N' Roll Half on April 13. I decided I wanted to train with a running group this time around. My goal is to finish in under 2 hours. So I joined a group training for the same race. I'm really excited.

I did my first group run on Wednesday. I was supposed to be doing a 4 mile run with 2 miles at tempo pace. Well, I got talking to some other ladies and totally lost track. Oh well, my goal was also to meet new people that also like to run. Now I just need to make sure I can balance my two goals of meeting new people and doing what it takes to do a sub two hour half.

Here are a couple of pictures from my runs so far this year.

Jan. 1: Committing back to running

Jan 5: My second half marathon training officially began today. I ran in the rain.
I first set out to go for a 5k and ended up deciding to go for over a 10k.

Jan 9: A nice hilly run at lunch. Enjoyed getting outside
mid-day and it was 50° to boot