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Mid-Week Training update

This week so far, unfortunately has been all about knee pain. I had extreme left knee pain after a four mile run on Wednesday. I purposely took Monday and Tuesday off to give my knee a break but it still hurt to run 4 miles. Then, post-run my knee hurt when walking on even ground and gradual downhills. Climbing stairs and going uphill doesn’t cause any pain. I went to my doctor and she referred me to an ortho doc. Who knows when that appointment will happen. However, today, Thursday after 30 minutes on the elliptical, 750 stairs and weight training the knee seems better; not so much pain. The big test will be Friday, tomorrow.

Jaybird – X4 Wireless Headphones

Jaybird headphone review – I love the headphones and the wireless technology. I particularly liked them while on the stair master and walking around the weight room while listening to music.

Garmin Connect app – yesterday’s stats

Forerunner 35 – I have hooked it up with my phone and all my stats appear in the app. I know steps, heart rate all day long, how long I slept, average resting heart rate and the best thing – the watch vibrates with a message – MOVE – and forces me to get up and walk around when I’m still for an hour. I know it’s trendy to track steps and I’ve never been into it, but now see how addictive getting a lot of steps each day and reaching goals can be. I have a 50,000 step goal each day.

I’m hoping the next few days will be good training days. The weather has been cold and windy but at least no snow. Just hoping ice on the trails melts soon – I need vertical!

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New Gear; too much info

Now I can obsess about my low heart rate.

I love my new Forerunner 35 GPS watch. Since this week is a recovery week, I seriously only have to run two miles tomorrow. I can test out the new watch.

Any other runners out there with a low resting heart rate?

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Week 21 Recap

This week was the hardest yet. Longer miles during the week and then 22/12 over the weekend.

My knees have been hurting from the fall last week, then on Saturday I fell, again, on the ice hurting my right knee. Geez. I’ve been icing my knees every day.

Saturday was the first long run that was done mainly on trails and a lot of vertical. The trails are muddy and still pretty icy in spots. I was toast after that run. Sunday morning was brutal; I woke up pretty sore. I delayed the run start to 10:00 which is the latest I’ve ever started a weekend run. At first it was slow and painful, but gradually got better. The run was around 80% on road and I tried as much as I could to find trails or run on the dirt next to the road.

I spent Sunday afternoon relaxing and icing my knees while catching up on Arrested Development.

Next week is a recovery week – thank goodness! I need it.

I need to pay special attention to core and get back to some weights this week. I also need to add night running and stair climbing. Saturday is a massage. Yeah recovery week!

The learning process continues.

Average Weight: 158

Average Resting Heart Rate: 56

Total Vert: 4,409 ft (most vertical this year!)

Miles: 57 (includes hiking)

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Born Free – Long Run Playlist

For my Saturday long run I always create a new playlist. This Saturday I added some new songs I haven’t heard in a long time from the Dixie Chicks to Trisha Yearwood.

The one song I added but didn’t really know was Born Free from Kid Rock. I have some of his songs on other playlists like Cowboy and Wasting Time but I added Born Free not really remembering what the song was about but curiously remembered when the new CD came out – oh so many years ago.

As I’m running up the big Carter Hill Born Free plays and now, a few days later, I remember every word as my heart is pounding and the wind is whipping in my face.

Calm facing danger
Lost, like an unknown stranger
Grateful for my time with no regrets.

Close to my destination
Tired, frail and aching
Waitin’ patiently for the sun to set

And when its done believe that
I will yell it from that mountain high

Kid Rock, Born Free

I think a lot about my life while I’m running for hours in my home state of New Hampshire. So many songs remind me of my time out west, chasing dreams and living the life west of the Continental Divide in the high peaks of Colorado and the deserts of Arizona. I lived out west for almost 15 years and it was my dream. Now, as I get older and I’m back east, I’m trying to find out new dreams and figuring out how to make my life extraordinary. Songs like this remind me to not give up, and make me feel so lucky that I can still go find my dreams because we are born free. We are free – don’t take it for granted. Seriously, there is still so much to do, achieve, dream and be. Songs like this remind me of that.

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New Gear Monday

One of the things that long back-to-back weekend runs does, is it tests your gear. After running for a few hours I become a bit delusional and I can’t even unzip pockets quickly much less adjust bottles on my hydration vest. A few gear-related issues that have been bothering and frustrating me the last few weeks while running need to be fixed as I’m out on the trails longer.

This morning I bought a few things online to remove my frustrations and make me more happy while running.

Wireless headphones – long overdue.

A GPS watch with a heart rate monitor on my wrist

A new running vest that is waterproof and wind resistant

My headphones have been driving me crazy with the wires. With wind and hydration flasks moving and shifting they hit my headphones a certain way and they move position in my ear. They typically don’t fall off but it’s annoying. I did a few searches and while I really wanted the Apple AirPods I decided to go with running-specific wireless headphones and opt for Jaybird X4 Wireless Headphones. I’ll let you know how I like them.

My heart rate monitor with my Suunto Ambit 3 has been driving me crazy lately. For two months I’ve been wearing it with no problems but the last two weeks the chest monitor is either too tight and restricting my breathing, or too loose and falling down. I need to try something new. I don’t feel too bad about buying a new GPS running watch since I’ve used the Ambit 3 since my bike crash in 2014 when my Garmin was destroyed.

I opt to go back to Garmin and bought the Garmin Forerunner 35. I like how it monitors health-related options like resting heart rate, which is still too low for me right now. I might just wear it all the time like a regular watch.

And, since I bought the Garmin with REI dividends and a special member sale, I added a vest for spring running that has been on my wish list for a long time.

I’m excited for a complete day off today. I will also be paying special attention to one of my favorite Instagram accounts I follow: Rest Day Brags

One my favorite accounts to follow