I finally feel like I’m back in the swing of things with running. Cooler weather seems to have been the ticket. I’m back to running around 20 miles/week, and have not had any recent issues with low energy or “hitting the wall” similar to what plagued me over the summer. I suspect these are related to dehydration and/or electrolyte insufficiency, both of which are bigger issues during the summer heat and humidity. I will say that it’s great to be able to finish a 7-8 mile run and not be completely drenched in sweat. Physically, I am 100% right now — a welcome change after spending most of the summer favoring my left big toe. I have yet to do a 10-miler this fall, but may try this weekend. Earlier this year, I set a goal of running a half-marathon in 2024, and I think I still have an outside chance. I’ll try to pace myself and see how it goes. It will depend on weather, health, and schedule (not necessarily in that order).

I picked up a pair of Xero Mesa Trail WP shoes this month. I was looking for a mostly-waterproof shoe that I could use for running in wet/rainy conditions. Last winter, I ran in my Xero Terraflex shoes when it was too cold for my Vibram V-Runs. Those work well for dry conditions, but I didn’t have any shoes suitable for cold and wet weather. The Mesa Trail WPs work well as everyday shoes when I’m out and about in the rain, but I haven’t yet gone running with them. I will report back when I do. They have the same sole/tread as the Terraflex, but are a little roomier inside and not quite as thick. My thinking is that I’ll wear them with wool hiking socks and possibly gaiters (they have hooks for them). Looking forward to trying them out.

This was a brutal summer for running. It was tough to stick with it, but for the most part, I was able to keep at it. The first issue was the heat in July and August. While 2022 and 2023 had hot stretches, this year seemed worse. When the heat and humidity are high, 4 miles is about my max, and that’s assuming I get out early and stick to shady areas. I had my best runs in July and August when I stuck to one particular route that is mostly shaded. If I went out in the sun, I overheated really quickly.

While the heat was a big factor, a larger issue was my left big toe. At some point early in the season, I stepped on something (splinter, tree detritus, etc) that got embedded in the base of the toe. It bugged me until mid August, when I finally got around to seeing a podiatrist, who removed the offending object, after which the toe healed up. In the meantime, I had been favoring it, which always leads to issues elsewhere. A month later, the toe is fully healed, I’m no longer favoring it, and most of the ancillary foot/leg issues have mostly resolved. Going forward, I’m going to be more careful about walking around outside barefoot, particularly in the spring/fall when the most stuff is falling from the trees.

Finally, over the past month or two, I’ve had an issue where I’ve been “pooping out” at the end of my runs. I’ll get maybe 4-5 miles, and then I’ll start feeling listless/tired and want to stop. I’m not sure of the cause, but things that have come to mind have been:

• Lack of hydration / electrolyte imbalance
• Other nutritional issue (glycogen depletion, protein or carb insufficiency, ???)
• Hot/humid weather
• Seasonal allergies that hit me in late summer
• Mild virus
• etc…

Just figured I’d document this here, so that I can refer back later and see if it’s something that happens at specific times of year. Obviously, hydration/electrolyte issues are going to be more common in the summer, and I seem to recall having some similar issues in May/June, which could be allergy related.

Today’s run was the best I’ve had in a good long time. My energy was much better, I ran 7 miles, and didn’t feel an overwhelming urge to stop at the end. For the record, I drank around 16-24oz of water between 6:00am and 8:00am. For breakfast, I had a protein smoothie with Greek yogurt, vanilla almond milk, chia seeds, almond butter, banana, frozen berries, quick oats, and mixed greens (not my tastiest creation, but that wasn’t the point 😀). I also ate a protein popsicle (my wife’s concoction) and a Rice Krispie treat. I went out just after 8:30. Temperatures were in the high 60s and humid, and I worked up a good sweat. On my last several runs, I’ve felt a little stiff and heavy-footed, but today felt more graceful and fluid. My feet felt great, and other than a bit of left hamstring stiffness toward the end, my legs did, too. Hopefully, this will be the start of an improvement trend. I’d love to get back to where I’m doing 10-milers on the weekends.

We appear to be back in a rainy weather pattern for at least the next several days. When it’s wet or rainy out, and I want to go running, I’ve always focused on trying to keep my feet dry. Vibram FiveFingers with toe socks do not work — the water ends up soaking through the socks, and my feet get cold. I’ve also used my Xero Terraflex hiking shoes (particularly in the winter) and they work well with wet pavement, but not rain, as they aren’t fully waterproof. The only truly waterproof shoes I currently own are my Altra Lone Peaks, and while they’re fantastic for mountain biking, I find them too heavy and bulky for running. Xero makes a waterproof trail shoe, as does Vivobarefoot ($$$), and either of those might eventually be an option. Today, though, I decided not to bother trying to keep my feet from getting wet. Instead, I wore the Vibrams with heel cups and no socks. I ran 9 miles with the temperature in the low 50s and off-and-on drizzle. My big worry was that my feet would freeze, but that didn’t happen. Instead, I noticed kind of a wet suit effect: the insides of the shoes got wet almost immediately, but thanks to body heat, the water never felt uncomfortably cold. It was definitely more comfortable than wearing the Vibrams with socks, although it likely wouldn’t work in really cold weather. I’d be interested to see how it works with temperatures in the 40s. Rounding out my wardrobe were calf compression sleeves, running shorts, long-sleeve athletic top, Gore-Tex running shell with hood, and Sweathawg head band. Most of my shorts have leg pockets which I use to stash my phone, but today, I used a small lumbar pack which fits underneath the shell, and it did a good job keeping my phone dry. Running without socks is going to require that I wash the Vibrams more frequently, but overall, this seems like a good option for rainy days during the warmer months of the year.

I tried my hand at running from home to UMBC today, which I had never done before. I had spent yesterday afternoon setting up a new computer at the office, and needed to pop in this morning to make sure the Apple Migration Assistant had finished moving all of my stuff over (it took several hours, but it worked great). I only needed to be there for the morning, so it worked out well to run over and then get a ride home at lunchtime. I stuck to roads, following a route that I’ve biked thousands of times. It was interesting seeing everything from a different vantage point. The overall route was just under 7.5 miles, which is about the same distance as my usual weekday loop from home. A couple of months ago, I picked up an Osprey Duro 1.5 running vest, mainly as a way to carry more water with me in the summer. It came in handy today, because I carried more stuff than I would on a typical run, and while the Duro 1.5 isn’t exactly a backpack, it had the extra capacity I needed. This was the 3rd or 4th time I’ve run with the pack, and it seems like it will work out fine. There’s a little bit of sloshing from the water reservoir if it’s filled to capacity (1.5L) but I ran with 1L today, and didn’t notice any sloshing. The vest doesn’t get in my way, and it doesn’t seem to rub anywhere where chafing might become an issue (July and August will be the true test, though). As I had kind of expected, it does get rather wet from perspiration (particularly from my back) so I’m probably going to have to wash it regularly in the summer to keep it from getting too funky. To me, it seems like an acceptable trade-off to being able to carry more water, which I definitely need in the summer. If I combine the 1.5L reservoir with my 16oz soft water bottle, I’ll be able to carry about 0.5 gallon. I just need to supplement that with something that will replenish electrolytes (gel packs?) and I’ll be ready to take longer runs in the summer.

I finally ran the BWI Trail loop today, accomplishing a goal that I first set for myself last summer. Various sources list the trail’s length at anywhere from 10 to 12.5 miles. I mapped it at 10.7 miles on gmap-pedometer.com, but my actual running distance, according to my Apple Watch, was 10.5 miles. I started and ended at the Lindale Middle School (formerly Andover High School; my alma mater), and ran clockwise, at an average pace of around 10:30/mile. The temperature was in the low-to-mid 40s, with wet pavement after some overnight showers, but no major puddles or washed-out areas. Being that it was a weekend, I saw several other bikers, runners, walkers, etc. (particularly around the Thomas Dixon area, which is the most popular place to park) but not as many as I would have seen on a warmer day. The run felt fairly easy — while the route has some rolling hills, the total elevation gain is only about 400′, compared to 700′ or so for my usual 10-mile route closer to home. I could definitely see myself running here more often, although unlike home, there are no shortcuts, so I have to make sure I can commit to running at least 10 miles.

I’ve decided that my running goal for 2024 is going to be to run a half marathon, or 13.1 miles. Given the distances I’m running now, I think it’s a realistic goal, but I also think it will require me to pay more attention to what I eat and drink before, during, and after my runs.

My runs lately have not been all that noteworthy. I’ve been averaging 3 runs per week, and my runs are typically 6-8 miles, sometimes more, sometimes less. Today, I ran 10 miles for the first time since early December, and it was a really good run. I ran at a fairly relaxed pace, finished strong, and felt like I could have kept going. Can’t ask for much more than that. After a few setbacks last fall that resulted in me scaling back my weekly mileage, I feel like I’m finally back to where I was back around September/October. If all goes well, I may try running the 10.7-mile BWI loop soon.

I had my first chance to run in some “real” winter weather this afternoon. The temperature was right around freezing, with light snow, but (fortunately) not much wind. I waited until a little after 2:00pm to head out, as I figured that’s when the road conditions would be the best. I wore my Xero Terraflex shoes with wool socks and Correct Toes. While they’re not the perfect shoes for wet conditions, they’re the best I’ve got right now, and they worked pretty well today. My socks ended up a little bit damp, but my feet never got cold. Had I worn my Vibram V-Runs, my feet would have been soaked through and freezing. The run itself went well. My energy and form were good, and I ran 7 miles, at a relaxed pace, owing to the non-ideal conditions. There were a few slick spots, but for the most part, I had good traction and did not slip. With conditions expected to worsen tonight, I’m glad I was able to get out today.