My Fitness Pal

   Hello everyone! I hope that all of you are doing well out there on the roads and trails. I actually ran outside a couple of times this week! Can you believe it? After getting my beloved treadmill this January I turned soft and didn’t do any outside running. While I did manage to log some serious miles and complete some specific workouts on it; it didn’t do much to improve my road running ability. In my experience, there’s just no substitute for running on pavement or trails. The treadmill is a good tool. But, shouldn’t replace what you’re most likely going to run on during your upcoming races. As the weather continues to improve over the next month I’m going to gradually work on increasing my time running outside. Even though it’s hitting the 40’s and 50’s outside, there’s still some snow forecasted for upstate NY’s future. So, I can’t lay the treadmill to rest just quite yet!

   As you know, I’m a huge fan of the amazing tools available out there that can help you reach your fitness goals. I’ve already written extensively about my love of Fitbit’s products. Today, I’d like to tell you about another tool that I use extensively every day to help me reach my goals, a smart phone app called MyFitnessPal.

   In 2005 a computer programmer named Mike Lee in San Francisco, California was getting married on the beach that summer and wanted to look good for the event. He hired a personal trainer. His trainer knew what they were doing and not only revised Mike’s fitness routine; but, also his diet. At that time the only way to track someone’s diet was by manually searching for a food’s nutrition information in bulky manuals, hand weighing the amount and tracking it in a handwritten log or personally created database. Sometimes nutrition information for certain foods were unavailable, it was challenging to weigh every item of food item and even more tedious to notate the nutrition information.

   Mike thought that whole dietary tracking side of his fitness plan could be greatly improved. So, that’s when he turned his programming skills loose and created MFP. In nine years MFP has grown to become the most widely used dietary tracking app available of both the Android and Apple markets boasting 50 million users. That’s right 50 million! Its online food database contains 3.5 million different food items and their accompanying nutrition information. It’s easy to use, supports full synchronization across numerous other fitness tracking products and programs and here’s the best part, absolutely free!

   I’ve been using MFP for a long time. Along with Fitbit’s products, these two tools helped me lose over 20 lbs. and finally break four hours in a marathon. Here are some of the best reasons why you may find it as useful as I do to help you reach your fitness goals.   

   MFP is free. Who doesn’t like free? Nobody that I know of would turn down something because it was free. Unfortunately, in today’s fast paced sales market free doesn’t usually equate to high quality. Free products are often below grade and typically are a stripped-down lite version of full price products. Not MFP. There isn’t a pay version of the app, comes with all the available features and sports a free online website program. This is one of the only apps I would ever consider paying double digits for. But, after nine years, I'm ’till waiting for the company to attach a price tag.

   MFP works with so many different other fitness products and programs. Like Fitbit, MFP realizes that people who want to improve their fitness may use many different tools and methods to reach their goals. I just love this concept. I’ve been using both Fitbit and MFP together religiously and rarely have any problems linking or combining their various fitness related data that they collect. It’s a very versatile product.

   MFP’s extremely easy to use. Nowadays everyone but everyone has a smartphone. I’m attached to mine and bring it everywhere that I go. MFP uses your smartphone’s camera to scan a packaged food’s bar code to retrieve its nutrition information. You can also search for foods by name. Other than homemade concoctions I rarely have problems finding food items. You can even create and save specialized food items and meals. After entering your personal physical data and your target, it calculates how many calories you can consume in a day, records everything you eat and displays your progress in easy-to-read graphs and charts. It even remembers foods that you frequently eat. If you exercise that also can be entered and recorded. It calculates calories burned based on your weight that day. Just like food entries, specialized exercises and workouts can be created and saved. Most major restaurants have also made their meal’s nutrition information available to MFP. Nutrition information is very accurate and routinely updated. The more people that use the app, the more the database will grow and the better it will become. 

   MFP uses social media. The online version and the app itself have a Facebook-like community. You can make friends with other users, comment on activities, trade ideas and celebrate victories. Nothing is more effective in reaching fitness related goals than being part of a supportive like-mined group. They will keep you honest too when you want to fudge stuff.

   MFP is informative and instructive. Two of the biggest problems facing our obese country are calorie-dense food products and improper portion control. If you are truthful when using MFP and correctly weigh your food products, then you quickly realize that the amounts food you thought you were eating was greatly under scored. You’ll also discover that certain foods are more calorie dense than others. Weight loss is all about trade offs. But, it boils down to simple math. If you burn more than you consume, then you’re going to lose weight. One of the biggest advantages to MFP is that it teaches you proper portion sizing and the value of eating the right kinds of foods. For instance, I could eat three chicken wings or three ounces of chicken breast. Both have similar calorie amounts. But, I’ll get more food product if I choose the healthier option of chicken breast. Most diets fail because they focus on calorie restriction and unreal food products like shakes in place of real food. Unless you make changes to your diet than you can sustain your entire life, then you’re going to revert back to old habits and food choices. You’re going to put the weight back on.

   Other than the occasionally incorrect calorie amount for a food entry the only issue that I have with MFP is all that health personal information. As with other fitness related tools like Fitbit’s products, you have to provide your personal information to make it work. If you’re uncomfortable with doing this then maybe MFP isn’t for you. But, if you’d like to become more realistic with the amounts of food that you eat, learn how to to make better food choices and do it with just a few fingers for absolutely nothing, then check out MFP. It won’t lose the weight for you. But it’s one hell of a powerful tool that can help you achieve your fitness goals!

   Ride that lighting my friends…

450 Days...

   On December 31, 2012 I thought that the number 366 was one a hell of a big number. The longest amount of time that I'd run consecutively before that had been 13 days. I needed something new, something different, something to make myself fall back into love with running. I was incredibly burnt out. So, I set out to ambitiously run for 366 days in a row. I was a good distance runner. I'd broken four hours in my tenth marathon that year. I'd thought that I'd seen everything there was to see and experienced everything that I thought my body had to offer with running. I was confident. But, I wasn't sure if I could do it.

   The days passed, the miles fell and the injuries came. I'm now thoroughly convinced that the injuries that I got last summer weren't the result of the streak. I'd been training six days in a row long before I made the decision to begin the 366 Project. I think it was more me turning 40 than anything else.

   During those 366 days I became a blogger, a video podcaster, a streaker and realized that after 11 years of being a runner there was so much more left to run, experience and feel. I'm not going to lie and say that every run was good. There were the painful days where it seemed like my whole body was breaking down. There were the freezing days of running through sub zero temperatures enjoying mild frostbite. There were the scorching days of running myself into heat stroke. There were the countless times that I was nearly killed as the careless drivers in my town were too busy to notice me. But, they weren't all that bad either. I discovered how much the trail has to offer an old runner who was tired of being a moving target. There was the magic of running on Christmas morning as the world slowly awoke to the magic Santa had left. There was the incredible feeling of triumph after getting injured, fighting back to register in a last minute marathon and unexpectedly shattering my old marathon PR by more than five minutes. 

   I stare in disbelief at the numbers before me. 450 days of streaking is well beyond the 366 that I once thought myself incapable of. 1,920 miles further than I thought I could ever run consecutively. As I write in this new blog, record my new podcast and set my sights on completing my first 50K this Fall I will continue on this non-stop journey. I don't know when my streak will end. I don't care. It will end when it needs to end. Hopefully that time will come after I've taken by last few breaths.

   Great run tonight on the treadmill. It was single digits outside with wind chill. So, I settled for getting my hill workout done inside. I stood there afterwards on the treadmill basking in the suddenly bright sunshine streaming in through the window. It felt amazing to be alive right then. Like I could do anything. I thought how running has touched my life in so many ways. It's given me back what I've put into it, taught me that hard work and perseverance can overcome every obstacle placed before me and shown my friends, family and nine year old son that super heroes aren't the stuff of legend. They're real and lie within all of us. Too many people settle for the easy path. Why not overcome fear, inspire others and see what your truly made of?

   500 days, yeah that's got a nice ring to it. Ride that lighting my fellow runners...

Learning To Run With Dogs

   Hello my friends! I hope that everyone is doing well and if you’re living in the northeast part of the country, enjoying the spring like weather that’s been sporadically coming our way. Warmer weather is right around the corner; I just know it. At least that’s what I keep telling myself!

   About six months ago we decided to get a puppy. We already had a beagle named Finnley. But, he’s an old man now and while he seems to keep on ticking like a Timex, it’s only a matter of time before he leaves our lives. That day will be a sad one for everyone. That little dog’s been with my wife and me since before we were married. He was the runt of his litter; mismatched with a small head and big body. Years ago when we went to a local breeder to pick out a puppy I remember being struck by his tenacity. When the breeder took the litter out of their cage the entire lot of them quickly pounced on him and proceeded to tease him relentlessly the entire time we were there. But, he didn’t take it for a minute. He fought back with such stubbornness that we couldn’t help but giggle out loud. Of course we choose him. We’ve always been suckers for those underdog types. Flash forward 13 years and here we are. Over the years Finnley’s never been a particularly easy dog to own. He’s gentle and loving; but, a loner, extremely independent and what a howler. That distinctive beagle howl is cute at first. But, it gets old really fast and can scare the hell out of you when you don’t expect it. All that aside, he’s been my nine year old son’s first pet and best friend for his entire life. We could see that when that dreaded time comes for Finnley to leave, that it’ll be extremely difficult for my son. So, we decided to try to blunt that with adding a new puppy, Sammy to our family. Sammy’s a black lab mutt that my son picked out from one of our local animal shelters. He’s just a really great dog. Between my wife and I, probably the best we’ve ever know. Yes, he does all those crazy puppy things. But, for as much as Finnley’s a loner, Sammy’s just the opposite. It appears that my son picked the perfect dog for us that day. He’s made a wonderful addition to the family and has even breathed some life back into good old Finnley. He’s patient with the old man too. Such a bonus.

   One thing that I always wished that I’d gotten more into was running with my dog. I tried it with Finnley periodically through the years without much success. Finnley was a too small to take on middle distance runs and seemed to follow his nose instead of the road. He was too interested in tracking game to keep up any kind of rhythm. So, with the addition of Sammy my hopes of having a new running partner are buoyed. He’s much bigger than Finnley and seems more interested in spending time with me on our walks than looking for a rabbit to run down. I did a little research on how to turn Sammy into the “Ultimate Running Dog”. I learned some good things that are worth passing on.

   Dogs are direct descendants of the gray wolf. While there’s some argument as to when dogs were first domesticated by humans, recent fossil evidence suggests that wolves were most likely domesticated over 31,000 years ago. Since then dogs have worked alongside humans doing everything from helping to put dinner on the table to towing our stuff around. With the arrival of modern society, most dogs now only offer companionship and have retired from their more rigorous duties. Like humans dogs are designed to run. But, like us their need to do so on a daily basis no longer exists. Taking that into consideration, you wouldn’t just wake up one day and decided to run a marathon without any training. You shouldn’t expect your dog to be able to do that either.

   First and foremost, take your dog to your vet before you begin running regularly. There’re several health factors to take into consideration. Age is one of them. Most vets recommend not starting running with your dog until they’re at least a year to 18 months old; mainly because their bones and ligaments aren’t fully developed until that time. If you do anything before then you run the risk of seriously injuring or maiming your dog. Also, the older the dog, the probability of arthritis increases. This can affect how long and if you can run with your dog.

   Another is breed. Dogs have been bred over time to have certain physical traits; some of them more for ascetics rather than functionality. Dogs with flat noes can have breathing problems while running. They could suffocate after prolonged exposure to exercise. Dogs with lighter colored foot pads may not be built for road running.

   Another is size. Larger dogs are more prone to ligament injuries. It’s a good idea to gradually increase your dog’s level of fitness before beginning running. Just like us, their bodies need time to adapt to the new demands of running. Also, smaller dogs may not run as fast as you may need them to. For every one of your miles, it’s double or triple that distance for them.

   Another is any outstanding medical issues such as a heart murmur, blood clotting or obesity. Get your dog the once over before you head out there on the roads. As I said before, dogs are designed to run. But they aren’t designed for long distance running, rather shorts bursts of speed to catch their prey. It would be absolutely crazy to take your dog on a 20 mile run with you. Humans are much more suited for longer distance running.   

   Once you figure out your dog’s physical issues and get the go ahead from your vet, there’s even more to consider. Time of year is an issue. Unlike us, dogs can’t add or remove clothing according to the seasons. So, if the temperature’s high don’t expect your thick haired dog to not work hard when he’s out there running with you. He can’t take off that coat to cool down. On the other hand, when the temperature’s freezing that same dog does have his thick coat to keep him warm. But, it’s not Gore-Tex lined. You may need to provide extra layers to keep him warm. Also consider footwear. As anyone’s experienced during summer, stepping on asphalt or cement heated by the scorching sun can be a hopping exercise. On the other hand, think about what it would feel like to run over snow and ice without running shoes for long periods of time. Debris on the road or trail is also important to consider. Garbage and sharp objects are everywhere. Many local pet stores sell lightweight to heavyweight dog coats as well as a variety of footwear.

   Another is location. Running on an outside track is boring enough for me. I don’t think I’m going to subject my dog to it. Ground keepers will flip out if they see you running on their track with a dog anyways. So, that leaves roads and trails. Each has pros and cons. Roads are good. But, consider how much of a shoulder you have to run with and the amount of traffic. Distracted drivers have a difficult enough time seeing me when I’m running in bright clothing on a clear, sunny day. Imagine how difficult it’ll be for them to notice your dog that’s half your size. Trails are better and most likely more enjoyable for your dog. But, again consider what sort of terrain you’ll be running over. I’m sure that your dog wouldn’t like running through a path of thorns.

   Another issue to consider is that you’re still running with an animal. Extremely docile dogs can react un-expectantly when faced with strange people or wild animals. Even domesticated, dogs still hear the “call of the wild” and will sometimes jump at the chance to chase a fleeing critter. Be prepared for sudden lunging. Unlike you, they can’t make sure they use the bathroom before heading out. So, give them time throughout the run to do their business. You may have to stop and start quite a bit. It’s important to let them let other animals know that they were there. You may do a lot of stopping for marking. Sometimes they can even refuse to run at all. Don’t force your dog to do something they don’t want to do. They can’t tell you that they’re feeling sick that day or have a sore leg. Skip running with them and give them a breather that day.

   Another issue is hardware. Retractable leashes are convenient because the leash length can automatically adjust, can be manipulated one-handed and won’t trip you up. But, can get caught on stray branches, cause rope burn and provide less control during a lunging situation. Fixed length leashes are nice because they can also be manipulated one-handed, can be easily attached to a belt for no-hand use and provide the highest level of control. But, they can trip you or cause you to accidentally step on your dog. Another thing to think about is running with a harness. While a regular collar will work just fine. A harness will provide the best safety, control and can even be used to attach extra gear to. Along with that don’t forget to place ID tags on your dog’s collar and harness. That way, if they manage to get off leash, they’ll still have identification.

   Another issue is water. Many runners need fluid replacement when running, especially in warm weather. For dogs this is a must. Dogs don’t sweat like humans. They relieve excess body heat by panting and drinking cool water. There’re many different portable water bottle options available for dogs. Some companies have even produced a dog friendly electrolyte mixture you can add to water. Whatever you choose, bring something for your dog to drink. Along with water, bring dog treats. Running with a companion isn’t an innate behavior for dogs. But, it’s something that can be taught over time. Your dog will need to learn skills such as not pulling on the leash, keeping pace with you and focusing on you instead of outside distractions. Be patient and reward their good behavior.

   Be realistic. If you have scheduled speed work or some other particular workout that you need to run that day think about how bringing your dog along will affect that. You may find it less stressful for both of you if you only bring them on easy run days. Your dog isn’t training, you are. Be aware of other people. Sometimes other people react fearfully when faced with a running dog. Not everyone’s a dog person or knows that your gigantic pet is really just a big baby. Unfortunately we’ve already experienced this with Sammy. Look up the phenomena of “black dog syndrome”. It’s an unwarranted dislike or fear of dogs based on their black or dark colored fur. It’s real and needs to be considered when you’re out there.

   Starting this July Sammy and me will be taking our first tentative runs on the local trail system near our home. We’re both itching for that time to come. I’ll be following my own advice here and already have all of the equipment that I’m going to need. Like I’ve always said, humans were made to run. I’ve gotten so much from this sport mentally, physically and spiritually. I can’t wait to give Sammy that experience and share my passion with him. When I come home from my runs I sometimes see him staring out our living room window watching, waiting for his time. As I got laced up to go out for a run the other days he paced anxiously by the door. I said, “Not too much longer buddy!” I swear he smiled back.

   Ride that lightning my friends and bring you dog too!    

Strategies For Success

   

   Hello everyone! What do you know? Old Man Winter is slowly relinquishing his grasp on upstate NY! Whatever Mother Nature is doing to get the cold-hearted bastard to move up north, I hope that she keeps it up! I know that I write for many of you when I say that looking up to a cloudless sky and feeling sunshine on my face is an amazing feeling! I've forgotten how good that freaking felt! Hell, I may even go outside for a run. But, I realize that this is Rochester. So, I wont put away the snow shovel or parka just quite yet.

   Things are going good. I've suddenly come to the end of a two-week "staycation" wondering where all the time went. I did manage to use some of my time wisely: I revamped my cross-training schedule, downloaded some fresh music for my running playlist, finished Dan Brown's Deception Point and started his Digital Fortress, downloaded a slew of new e-books, caught up on reading comics to the little man, finished watching the True Detective and American Horror Story: Coven series and even had the pleasure of marching in uniform in our local St. Patrick's Day parade! I think that's enough! I finally managed to figure out how to create some widgets for the blog showing how many days I've been running in a row and how many days until the big 50K. Updated the look of the blog too. Hopefully it's easier to read and looks a little better!

    My training is progressing nicely! I've made the conversion from running for mileage to running strictly for time on all of my training days except my long distance day. I've decided on what I think is a good training plan from Competitor Running. It has a heavy emphasis on running for time and cross-training. Hence my pre season adjustments. It's going to be really strange to not do any speedwork. Even though I don't know what I'm doing with regards to ultras, I can see that it's pointless to train with speedwork for a race of this distance. I just want to be able to finish the dang thing! My hamstring continues to keep fluctuating between being awful one week and great the next. Still continuing on with the yoga and foam rolling. It's gotta get better at some point! Right?

   A friend on Facebook posted an entertaining video earlier this week showing what is was like growing up in the 60's, 70's and 80's compared to growing up now. It made me laugh. That got me thinking about my own childhood and what the future holds for my son. I realize that I'm like most first-time parents in that I don't have a clue what I'm doing most of the time. As parents, we draw heavily on our experiences when we were children. Hopefully if you're like me, that means trying to filter out the negative and include the positive into your children's lives.

   Most of the time what I write in this blog is related to running. While I think there's a lot of different topics that I can still and will write about; this particular post will focus on four positive  strategies that I experienced while growing up. I think each could help you succeed at discovering a healthier you. They've helped me and I try to use them with my son on a daily basis.

   Freedom. Don't let anyone tell you what THE sport for you is. Nobody knows what's right for you other than yourself. While I'm obviously in love with running; I realize that it's not for everyone. Some people like swimming. Some people like walking. Some people like weight-training. The list is just endless. I think that each has it's advantages and disadvantages. Don't be afraid to try new things. Just remember that depending on what you try, some activities require practice and skill. Get professional guidance from a coach if you have questions. Try to look for some variety in what you choose. Breaking up the routine can keep you motivated and help prevent boredom. Strive for a balance when exercising and shoot for activities that work to improve you as a whole. There're several different paths to fitness. Explore all of them and discover what ones are the right fit for you. As human beings, we're all different. What works for one person may not work for another. Luckily, my son seems to like the idea of being a runner!

   Failure. I've talked about it before. For some reason, failure has become an extremely dirty word in today's society. Whether it's in the world of professional sports, business or free time, failing has become unacceptable. Why? How are we as individuals supposed to grow, change and improve unless it's through trial and error? Even with something like running, which your body does automatically, there's a learning process of trial and error that occurs when you begin to train. Unconsciously, your body makes adjustment after adjustment until you're running as efficiently as possible. There're further tweaks and techniques that a you can consciously use to further improve. But, overall what you have, is what you have. Gone are the days of trying out for the school's baseball team and not making the cut. Everyone gets on the team. Everyone gets a swing and runs the bases. At some point, after never being allowed to fail, when faced with failure for the first time it will be more devastating that it really needs to be. Most successful people fail more than they succeed. They learn from those failures and that's why they become successful. Nobody is born knowing how to do everything. It's heartbreaking to watch my son when he fails. But, it has be done.

   Responsibility. What a great concept! It's easy to say that you know what it is. But, do you really practice it? In my line of work I see person after person who doesn't take responsibility for their actions. It was never their own fault. Yes, certain situations are out of our control. But, many of the difficult ones are created by the direct result of our own choices. There's easy and quick ways to achieve some fitness goals. But, many of those are unhealthy and downright dangerous. There's no reason for someone to take medication to speed up their metabolism. There's no reason to starve yourself everyday. There's no diet drink worth a damn unless you plan on drinking that shake for the rest of your life in place of healthy, real food. Fitness isn't something that's given to people. Yes, there're some genetically gifted people out there. But, for the most part, fitness is earned. If you step inside gyms around our country you'll see people working hard everyday to improve themselves. If you don't take the time to take responsibility for your health, you won't get the sort of results that you want. My son worked hard last summer running with me. At the start he could barely do a mile. By the end, we managed a two mile long run. Hard work plus responsibility equals...   

   Success. There it is! What everyone wants! For as much as failure is a dirty word in our society, success can sometimes be something not talked about either. For example let's take a look at Facebook. Some people just hate it. They claim that all it does is depress them and make them realize how terrible their life is. What's wrong with someone posting a picture of their new car, vacation snapshots or motivational quotes? Nothing. Maybe some of those negative people should take a serious look at their own lives and work on improving them. Runners do this a little better than others. We post our workouts through social media, proudly display our 5K, 10K and 26.2 stickers on our cars and have more races shirts in our closets than regular ones. If you are good at something, enjoy it, promote it and improve the hell out of it. Life is full of boring meetings, traffic jams and mind numbing TV. Celebrate the victories, they're yours and you earned them after all. When my son has a win, it's a win. Not something to be casually overlooked. Feeling success is good. It makes you want to achieve more.

   I didn't intend this to come off like a rant. I hope that it didn't. Just someone who believes that everyone has it within them to improve. Hope all of you have a great week! Put some miles into your life...

Squeaky Cheeks Review

   

   First and foremost, I'd like to apologize to Rock for getting this review out so damn late. Please don't take that to mean that I think it's a bad product or not worth your time. Quite the contrary! Time just seemed to get away from me a little, that's all.

   From my first few days suffering through physical fitness training at the police training academy almost 14 years ago one thing became clearly evident, I was a sweater! Everybody sweats when they workout. But, my capacity to soak everything and everyone in a three foot radius became the stuff of legend! Gross and embarrassing I know. Me and me academy class suffered through it and graduated somewhat dry.

     As an avid distance runner I've tried a lot of different things to deal with this problem. Wicking fabric typically found in running clothing works alright up to a point. If you're running outside and have a slight breeze, it does OK. But, when it's calm or I run inside on a treadmill I turn into a sponge. I remember one particular hot and humid day about two summer training seasons ago where it was so nasty that I had to stop and wring out my shirt. It was like a towel from a car wash. Even I was amazed that I could sweat that much!

   Running with less clothing works. But, I've already survived a bout of skin cancer once before. I'm not anxious to repeat it. They don't make a sunscreen strong enough to resist my sweat for very long. So, this typically isn't an option for me. Take the sun serious my fellow runners. It's a deadly thing!

   Another problem with running shirtless is that the sweat naturally travels down to your shorts. Once any part of your clothing becomes soaked you run the risk of chaffing. To say that this is one of my biggest problems is an understatement. It's a nasty thing because you don't always notice that it's happening until your run's over. Then it's too late to do anything about it. It hurts like Hell, makes you bleed all over the place and can take a long time to heal. There's several products out there to prevent chaffing. I tried many of them. One that I often use is Body Glide. It works fairly well and is similar to a slightly less gooey version of Vaseline. But, it doesn't do anything other than make you feel like a lubricated, wet robot. Depending on how much you apply, it may stain your clothing too. Forget reapplying it after you're soaked. It won't stick then.

   Another big issue for me is soaked shoes. Just like the clothing, when your shoes get wet you can also get chaffing on your feet. Some runners claim that they even provide less support wet compared to when they're dry. There's nothing more disgusting feeling than slipping on your shoes the next day before a run and they're still soaked from the previous day's run. I coat both of my feet in Vaseline for every marathon to prevent chaffing. It's a lovely experience that feels like your putting your feet into mud. Better have a towel nearby for your hands! One way I combat soaked shoes is two train with two pairs. I rotate them after each run. I also use a product called Stuffitts to dry out my shoes. The Stuffitts are a shoe insert filled with cedar chips that absorb the sweat inside a wet shoe. It can get confusing rotating shoes and the Stuffitts only last so long before they loose their absorbency.   

   One product that many runners use to combat sweat and it's related issues is talc powder. Talc is actually a mineral and is used for a variety of different things. It's commonly put in sports related powders. I've used talc before. But, it doesn't absorb water and has a tendency to quickly clump up. It's messy as Hell too. It lasts only a short time. Not a very good combination for long distance runs! So, that's a no go for me too.

   So, since I've got lots of issues with sweating; I'm always on the lookout for new ways to combat this sticky topic. My friend, Coach Jeff of the Running Podcast offered up a chance to grab some free swag a couple of months ago on his show. I was lucky enough to get a free bottle of a product called Squeaky Cheeks. Funny name! He'd been rambling on about it since forever. I was anxious to see if it was as good as he claimed.

   Squeaky Cheeks was created by Rock Toone out of Utah. Rock's an amazing guy and a Fireman. If there's anybody who'd know about sweating and chaffing besides runners, it'd be the guys and gals who run into burning buildings wearing 70-100 lbs. of gear!   

   Squeaky Cheeks resembles talc. But, has none whatsoever. It's composed of an unique mixture created by Rock containing corn starch, bentonite clay, slippery elm bark and other natural ingredients. It's got a pleasant, fresh menthol scent to it.

   I've gotta be honest here and say that I was disappointed when I first opened my 5 oz. bottle. It just looked and felt too much like the talc powder that I'd sworn off years ago. But, it couldn't hurt to give it a try. Here's the lowdown after testing it for a while now.

   The 5 oz. bottle has a flip open squeeze type lid. Which was really handy when putting the product into my shoes, socks and shorts. Unlike the typical pepper shaker type lids you find on talc powder bottles; this design made it a lot less messy. It helps to stand in your bathtub when squirting it in your shorts. That way it's an easy clean up.

   Some people who've used the product claim to be slightly irritated by a tingly sensation. My guess is the menthol component. While it was tingly, it didn't irritate my skin at all no matter how long it was applied. It actually felt nice!

   I've tried out the product over several different time frames. It lasted much longer than I remember talc ever lasting. Although, I've yet to test it on anything longer than an hour and a half of running. I did give it a try in my work boots. It did last my entire eight hour shift of walking. It absorbed sweat very well. Something that talc doesn't do at all. It didn't stain any of my clothing like some gels have in the past. It's even effective when you're already soaked and have to reapply.

   My initial opinion has gone out the window. It's definitely something that I think I'll use while training. If Mother Nature ever smacks down Old Man Winter here in upstate NY long enough for Spring to arrive, I'll definitely be giving it a try during some longer runs and races. I'll be bathing in it during my upcoming 50K!  

   My 5 oz. bottle costs $13 US and is marketed to last a month. I've been using mine on and off now for about two months. So, it depends on how much you apply and how often. Rock also sells two other sizes: a carton of 50 single use packs for $45 US and a 28 oz. bottle marketed to last six months for $44 US. Both bottles have the handy squeeze top. No matter what size you purchase, you get free shipping.

   I like the marketing, I like the price point, I like product and Rock's very approachable if you have any questions! As you put some miles into your life give Squeaky Cheeks a try. It'll keep you dry, chafe free and smelling like you didn't just run a 50K for 10 hours straight!  

Life Of A Streaker

   Hello again my friends! I hope that all of you are healthy, happy and getting your adrenaline rush on whatever way you like! My running is going extremely well and so is my cross training. All this week I've been enjoying some vacation time at home. Nothing special planned. Just lots of relaxation! A streaking friend of mine, the incredible Judy Mick, is putting together a book on running non-stop and asked for some chapter submissions. Here's my submission discussing what I thought was going to be a 366 day journey. Almost 500 days into it, the story continues. Enjoy and put some miles into your life!

A 366 DAY JOURNEY & BEYOND...

   September 23, 2012 is a day that I'll always remember. It was the end of an era and the beginning of another. But, I didn't know that just quite yet. After growing up obese for most of my childhood and as a teenager watching my father literally melt away from brain cancer until he passed, as a mere shadow of the great man that he was; I radically adjusted my life. As you can imagine, both of those significant eras dramatically affected who I am today. Not all of the effects were good ones. I missed a lot of time out of school, became depressed, survived one scary really bad decision, got arrested and spent most of my time sleeping. I was living as a ghost. Not all the effects were bad either. Through time and a lot of counseling I finally managed to become a living person again. I luckily graduated high school, enrolled in college, started taking an interest in fitness, lost a ton of weight and decided to follow in the footsteps of my father pursuing a career in law enforcement.       

   Many different police departments test potential candidates in many different ways. But, one thing that's a standard across the board is being able to run. As the little fat kid I hated running. But, it was now a necessary evil. So, it became a regular part of my fitness routine. Flash forward a little. Finished college, got married, got hired by a local sheriff's department and started a family. By December of 2002 I'd not only developed a love of running; but, decided to try my feet at distance running. Flash forward a little more to that chilly September day in 2012. For the past 10 years I'd devoted my life to becoming the best long distance runner that I thought I could be. For me, that meant running a marathon in less than four hours. After experimenting with everything under the sun; running various road races including nine marathons; I finally had the training year of my dreams. With outstanding support from my family, the online running community, the discovery of an incredible little device called a Fitbit and devotion to some hardcore training I'd managed to drop over twenty pounds. I was lighter, stronger and faster than ever before. As I crossed the finish line of my hometown marathon in Rochester, NY that early afternoon I saw something that I've wanted for a very, very long time: a race time clock reading 3:57:27! Not bad for someone who once topped the scales at 220 lbs. and had a 42" waist!

   The emotion was overwhelming as I fell into the waiting arms of my wife at the finish line. All the years, the training, the miles and hard work had finally paid off. I couldn't hold back the tears. Soon after running headfirst into the world of distance running you realize that it isn't about beating other runners in races, winning your age group or even taking home the first place medal. It's about being better than you were the day before; meeting whatever challenges you place before yourself. I had finally done that and the feelings I experienced are something that only other runners could know. I basked in the glory of my triumph that day. My family and friends were in awe. By the end of that year I'd set PR's in the 5K, five mile, half-marathon and marathon distances. I think that symbols are important for people. Especially runners. For years my symbol had been the superhero Flash. For the first time, I felt like I was wearing the lightning bolt emblazoned red suit! I felt like the fastest man alive! It had been a good day!

   So, I'd reached my goal. I worked so long at trying to run a sub four hour marathon that I never considered what came afterwards. I wanted to someday get into triathlons. Race an Ironman. I thought about Tough Mudders and Spartan races. I thought about what EVERY distance runner does, Boston. But, to qualify I'd have to take over a half an hour off my new best finishing time. I'd trained so hard that I'd sacrificed a lot of time with loved ones, was tired most of the time and had lost a great deal of muscle mass. I just didn't have it in me to train any harder at that time. Exhausted, I had come to look at running as a job instead of something that I enjoyed. Looking back, I find it amusing that I'd lost my love of running after reaching my goal!

   What to do? How could I get my passion for running back again? I weighed many different options. Some were good, some were bad and some were just awful. Distance running is a strange thing. I know that many runners enjoy company while running and training. I've run with partners before. But, it never seemed to work out for me. Some running partners were slower than me and I always felt like I didn't work hard enough. Some running partners were faster than me and I always felt like I worked too hard. I soon discovered that listening to running podcasts provided me with what I was searching for. I could go as slow or as fast as I liked and my virtual "running partner" kept pace perfectly. I reached out to those podcasters and others in the online running community. Through the miles and years I'd gotten so much from those amazing people and created some amazing friendships along the way. They provided encouragement, gave me new ideas, celebrated my victories and showed me that I wasn't alone in my hopes and dreams. If reaching my goal had taught me anything, it was that I needed to put fear aside and believe in what I wanted to accomplish. For a long time, I'd wanted to be a contributor to the online running community. But, was afraid of rejection. Who wanted to hear my boring story? I didn't want to have another brutal training year focusing on the almighty time clock. A light bulb went off!

   December 31, 2012 was when the streak officially started. I affectionately named it the 366 Project. It was my new personal challenge to run at least one mile a day for a year and a day. I also started a blog and video podcast to document my journey. Fear was pushed to the way side. I decided that for 2013 I was going to focus on three things: forging my path into the online running community, not worrying about time and running more than ever before. I was going to relearn the sheer joy of being able to run and put it out there in a big way. Many runners forget what a gift running really is! I know that I certainly had. Deep down inside though, I'm a marathoner at heart. So, I also planned on one again running my hometown marathon, just a lot slower. I know what you're thinking: How can I overcome burnout if I'm running everyday? But, this year was going to be fun, easy and relaxed. I told myself, no pressure.

   Several years ago I began using the Hanson Brother's marathon training plan. It focuses on moderate training distances running six days a week. I remember it was hard as hell making the transition to running almost everyday. Overload principle to the max! But, now it was like second nature. I thought that adding a single mile on the seventh day was plausible; a little scary; but, plausible. I didn't know the first thing about streaking. My family and friends were already well adjusted to my running schedule. Even if I took it nice and slow, I could complete a mile in about 10 minutes. Who doesn't have ten extra minutes everyday?

   Typically, upstate NY has brutal winters. Lots of sleet, ice and snow. Freezing temperatures and near whiteouts. It gets ugly! But, that year we were blessed with a mild season. It made winter running a piece of cake! I usually headed inside during the winter months and logged most, if not all, of my miles on my YMCA's treadmills. We had just moved to a new home and I soon discovered a local trail system about a quarter mile away from my front door. I tried running on them and quickly developed a new found love for trail running. There's something magical about being alone on a trail in a roaring blizzard, with snow up to your knees without a soul in sight. Very peaceful!

   Spring quickly came. The magic of winter trail running was replaced with the unbridled glory of getting down and dirty. At work I wear a uniform and pride myself on looking clean, neat and in charge. There's something satisfying about running through ankle deep mud and then coming home to rinse yourself off with a garden hose in your driveway! Much to the dismay of your neighbors! I started my "relaxed, no pressure version" of marathon training. It felt good to feel like a kid running just for fun again! 

   Summer arrived and I was having the time of my life. Up until this point the running had been relaxed and easy. I was piping out content on the blog and podcast on a weekly basis. People were reading and watching. I felt great to have people take an interest in my story! I was starting to fall back in love with running. But, old habits die hard and as the marathon training continued I found it difficult to slow down and enjoy the miles. The easy mile pace felt well, too darn easy. It was boring running so slow. So, I began to push the speed a little more. I'm not sure if it was the faster mile pace or the running everyday, but, I developed a peroneal tendon injury in my right foot. Your peroneal tendon runs along the outer edge of your foot up to underneath your ankle. It was painful and threw a gigantic monkey wrench into my marathon training schedule. Double digit runs were reduced to mile long limping runs to keep the Project going. It was looking like my hometown marathon was going to be totally out of the question and maybe the entire Project itself!

   Fall fell and with the help of new found chiropractor and some easy running the tendon injury was able to heal. But, my troubles continued. The tendon injury was replaced with a hamstring strain in my right leg. Back to square one! Very defeating. Very frustrating. Running everyday continued and was frowned upon by pretty much everyone I knew. Everyone thought I was crazy. But, I wasn't going to give up my quest that easily. It was going to continue no matter how much everyone thought I was running myself into the ground. Luckily, I was able to defer my hometown marathon registration fee to the following year. I also discovered another marathon near Rochester in Syracuse, NY that was scheduled a month later. I was able to salvage what was left of my training season for the new race. I was still running injured, my training was less than good and I'd gained some weight back; But, I was going to give it a shot. No expectations anyway, right? I was just going to run the race and have fun!

   Race day came and I was extremely nervous. Unfamiliar race, injured body and poor training left me wondering if I could even finish the entire distance. But, like I said, distance running is a strange thing. You'd think that after a decade of running I'd have this whole thing figured out. Not so much! The race started off well. Cool weather, sunny skies and new sights to see. I decided that I was going to try to hold onto a sub four hour marathon pace as long as I could. Then after I crashed, finish the rest of the race at a comfortable pace. That's when things got really weird. Somewhere during those 26.2 miles the running gods smiled down and some running magic happened. I kept waiting to hit the wall. I kept waiting to feel the fatigue set in. I crossed the finish line five minutes faster than my previous best marathon time! Out of 11 marathons this race was THE most enjoyable. I didn't have cramping, ran every mile clocking sub nine minute splits and destroyed other runners on the hills. No wall. No cramping. No walking. The terrible IBS that I'd wrote off as a necessary evil after my long distance races was non-existent. There was no recovery. I was back running the next day without hardly any residual soreness. Just amazing! What was going on? Maybe there was something really good about this running everyday thing after all? What an unexpected victory after turning 40 two months earlier! The rearranging of marathons even allowed me some extra time to achieve another goal of mine, becoming a physical fitness instructor at the training academy! What do ya know, change isn't always a bad thing!

   After the race I felt like I was able to take a more relaxed attitude. Now the focus was on just staying healthy enough to run until New Year's Eve. The hamstring strain fluctuated between getting better one week; only to come back with a vengeance the next. Nothing worked! But, I was still managing to limp through at least a mile everyday. The excitement was palatable as the end of the year drew near. Social media was abuzz with encouragement and anticipation. I'd developed a little following of adrenaline junkies! The question on everyone's mind though was, am I really going to stop on the 366th day? I started the 366 day journey thinking that it wouldn't be that hard. There were days that it was easy. The sun was shinning, I felt healthy and had all the time in the world. I saw people, places and experienced things that only those of us crazy enough to be out on the roads everyday know about. But, not all the days were like those. There were the near misses when careless, distracted drivers almost ran me into a pancake. There was the time that, against my own better judgment, I ran during a lightning storm only to be unable to call anyone for a rescue pick up. There were one too many times the I had the pleasure of experiencing mild hypothermia and frostbite. Then there were the unexpected details that forced me to adapt when and where I ran my mile. Imagine the humor of running laps in your basement during a surprise 40th birthday party using a Fitbit to count your steps! It was my first mile drunk! But, overall the journey had more positive than negative. It took me to places that I thought I could never go. The whole experience was so similar to life it wasn't funny. There were good times, there were bad times. But, just the act of moving forward; putting one foot in front of the other made the difference. It wasn't thousands of miles over the course of 366 days. It was simply just one easy mile once a day. 

   As I rounded the corner of my street on New Year's Eve my Garmin watch beeped: 3.66 miles to bring the Project to a close. It had been one hell of a long run. An amazing year. An unforgettable journey. My family and friends congratulated me. Everyone couldn't believe that I'd done it. Everyone looked at me with this strange look in their eyes. Like I was some sort of elite, genetically gifted runner. I'm not. I'm an average, middle of the pack runner with a greater degree of stubbornness than usual. But, I've always been fascinated by what average people can do with a good support system, inner strength, faith in themselves and a will to push beyond their perceived limits. This stuff wasn't magic. On December 31, 2013 366 days, 1,550 miles later my message to everyone was that those things were inside them too. That they could do anything they wanted if they harnessed those things. The 366 Project was a huge success. I'd ran at least a mile everyday for 366 days, started my first running blog and video podcast. I discovered who I was again. But, it was over. I was looking forward to a well deserved day off!

   As I rolled out of bed on January 1, 2014 I knew that I'd fallen in love with running again. The blog and podcast were definitely going to continue. They were just too much darn fun to stop. I love being a marathoner. But, change is a good thing and challenges aren't worth a damn unless they scare you just a little, remember? How about I launch a new blog and podcast focusing on running my longest distance yet? How about five miles more to my first 50K ultra marathon? It appeared that my formula for success was becoming: pick something that scares you that you know absolutely nothing about and dive in headfirst! It was going to be another interesting year!

   I used to think streakers were an odd bunch. A little strange. The dirty little secret that the running community knew existed, but, didn't really acknowledge. Who wants to run everyday? Wasn't it hard, dangerous or crazy? Why would someone want to do that? Someone who was once bullied all the time because he was obese. Someone who wants to be around to watch his family grow. Someone who wants to be an example of positivity and hope in a world that's often negative and spiteful. Someone who wanted to go beyond his limits and find out who he was on the other side. I couldn't stop running everyday. Running is many things for me: an identity, part of my job, a way to spend time with my father, exercise, meditation, stress relief. The list is too long. I don't know when it will end. I guess it'll end when it needs to. As I near 500 days it's hard to remember what is was like before I didn't run everyday. Bring on the miles. Bring on the challenges. My name is Mark Robert Sands I'm a streaker and I'm not done yet...        

Catch Up

   Where does the time go? Here we are at the last day of February. It seems like it was New Year's day just yesterday!. How's it going out there my friends? Here, it's been super crazy. Like I don't have time for anything crazy! I've made time today though, to fill you in on what's been going on in my world.

  

   After two months I'm starting to finally feel like I'm over this incredibly strong chest cold and sinus infection. It's been so long since I haven't hacked up a lung or had to blow my nose every 15 minutes that I've almost forgotten what it feels like to be normal! I haven't been this sick since last summer's bout of bronchitis. It appears that the antibiotics that my doctor prescribed me did the trick. I'm not anxious to ever repeat that anytime soon! It just plain sucked!

   With the return to normalcy has come a resurgence in my energy level. I'm the kind of guy who likes to go full speed most of the time and it's nice to feel like the batteries are fully charged again. It's pretty hard to train for my first ultra marathon if I don't even feel like getting out of bed.

   I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts the other day, the Slow Runner's Club and my friend Eddie was talking about his new approach to becoming healthier, loosing weight and improving his running. One thing that he said that stuck with me was that he's looking at everything in his life and asking himself the question, "How does what I'm doing right now contribute to my recovery?" Now, he's not talking about recovering from alcohol or some other addiction. What he's talking about is taking a more holistic approach to how he lives and applying it to what those things can do for his health. I thought about that. Like I said earlier, full speed all the time. That means shortchanging myself on sleep quite often, training too hard, eating convenient things instead of healthier options and probably drinking a little to much coffee and adult beverage. So, starting this Monday I started embracing this holistic approach in my own life. Thanks Eddie! It was difficult at times. But, already I feel slightly better than usual. The experiment will continue and I'll keep you in the loop.

   The running has been going really well now that I feel better. With the newly found energy reserves back on line and more attention being paid to time on my feet versus distance, I feel like I'm getting stronger. Strange how taking the focus off distance has made the running seem more rhythmic and relaxed. I reconfigured my cross-training exercises around and what do you know, took the boredom out of my workouts. It's nice to feel motivated to hit the gym again. With the changing of some of the exercises and reintroducing pigeon pose back into my stretching routine, I've seemed to make some headway with regards to my hamstring pain. It's not completely gone. But, it feels like it's mending for the first time. What a pain in the butt, literally.

      I was screwing around with a day counting app on my iPhone this week and discovered that the Canandaigua 50K race that I was going to use as my first ultra marathon was most likely not going to happen. Apparently, their pre-registration was filled. I mean really? The race is in late October people. I was super disappointed. I put my name on the lottery list and will hope for the best. I searched around the internet for a bit and discovered that there's another 50K race that's near me called the Mendon Trail 50K which is held about a month later. Registration wasn't posted yet for this year's race. I emailed the director and he got back to me the next day. Apparently registration for their race didn't fill up until about a week before the race last year. So, it may be a better option than hoping I win the lottery for the other. Wouldn't it be amazingly cool but idiotic if I won the lottery for Canandaigua and ran Mendon too? I've run two marathons within six weeks of each other. But nothing that far or close. Whenever I do something, I do it big. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

   My little man turns nine tomorrow! All this week I've been looking at him thinking to myself I used to push you around in a tiny little running stroller. Where the hell has the time gone? He's grown up so fast. He seems more like a teenager now than an eight year old. We're going take him out for dinner tonight and then have family over tomorrow. Next week's the big party though. Five nine year olds over the house for a "spooky" sleepover! Good thing I'll be on vacation. Because I don't think sleep will be in my future. Looking forward to messing with them and scaring the living daylights out of the whole lot of them!  

   Other than that, everything else is going along nicely. I hope that all of you are doing well and getting off the couch. It's still freakin cold as the artic out there. But, Spring is just a mere 20 days away. It can't last forever right? Hang in there, put some miles into your life and have a great day!