Month: July 2024

Running Holidays Italy

So I have arrived for my annual holiday in Italy. It wont be the first time I brought my running shoes, but this time I am taking my training more seriously than I have done in previous years. As you may have already read, I am running now consistently for 2 years. My previous running attempts were not very good in hindsight, and certainly not very well planned.

It is now Monday, and my first run was on Sunday the 28th July, from Celle Ligure to Albisola, and back again. It was 5.87k in total, with an average pace of 5.47km, moving timer 34 minutes and an average heart rate on 161bpm. This by all accounts was an easy run in many ways. It was a clear 20degrees, with 86% humidity being the only downside.

Coming from Ireland, this was a hot day for me, and in preparation for this I woke at 6:30am to venture out on my routine. The terrain was relatively flat, and mostly footpath.

Italy is a wonderful place to run, especially in a nice area like this one. I would recommend to run early in the morning and keep an eye on the temperature the evening before. Make sure not to venture out during the day, unless you are an experienced runner who is used to high temperatures. What most people don’t consider in Italy is the humidity levels. 20degrees can feel like 26. During the daytime the average temperature is 28degrees, adding the humidity factor can create a felt temperature of 34degrees. This while running is an issue and one I would rather avoid.

I did not have much time to take in my views on my run. The surface was flat but there were some parts where a step presented itself without much warning. There was also an old train track through a tunnel that was dark, so I had to be mindful not to fall. There was more people out than I imagined there would be at this time. I guess they had a similar idea to me and wanted to avoid running in high temperatures.

After the run, I came straight back for some much needed electrolytes and a shower. I sipped at some water for the remainder of the day, and I did not feel 100% again until after lunch time. This is the effect adverse weather conditions can have on your body.

I avoided alcohol for the remainder of the day and tried to rest as much as possible to avoid injuries and cramps. The pain I was experiencing in my left knee miraculously disappeared and I put it down to the warm weather on my joints. I will continue to take precautions on my next run, as I become familiar with my temporary environment.

Check back for some more stories.

Running Holiday Preparation

We all go on our summer holidays, the question is to run or not to run?

For me, its running this year as I aim to keep my Vo2 max levels at 49. Getting there took some gruelling work, both at the track, and the added long runs at the weekend. In fact, one might well be forgiven for deciding to take two well earned weeks off. The gain, as you might have heard me mention previously from my other posts, is far too valuable for me to lose this year. I had some untimely set backs in other areas of my working life that caused me to miss some weeks on the track. So with that been said, lets get to another list piece.

Here are my five tips for running preparation on your holidays:

  1. Plan your route in advance. Make sure you know the area you are going beforehand. Google maps can be great, but do extra research using the internet or by calling the hotel you are staying, or the host. Apps like strava are useful but can be tricky to locate starting points etc. Pay particular care if its a city break and make sure the area is safe. You might need to do some extra research for a city break, by finding out information about the local parks and rivers etc in advance. Make sure the areas are safe and perhaps keep your runs to daylight if that is the case. This year, i’m holidaying in a coastal seaside town of north west Italy. I can see by looking at google maps there is a long foothpath stretching over at least 15k. It looks wide also, and from some reasearch online the area is safe and well used by runners. There are some comments about it not being well lit up at night, so i will keep my runs to daytime.

2. Check the weather. This will depend on the time of year you are going. I was recently on a work trip to Finland and the weather was quiet cold even though it was early June. The trip to Italy on the other hand will be hot, so this means some early morning runs. I will need to prepare for them in advance so as not to wake my wife up leaving the house. My plan is to get up at about 6am and run the coastal pathway. Even early in the morning the weather is expected to be 25degrees celsius. Being from Ireland, this is hot for me so I will be sure to wear appropriate clothing, bring some fluid and wear sun protection. Hydrating as soon as I return with some electrolytes will also be crucial in this type of temperature.

3. Buddy up if possible. This will depend on a variety of situations. For me, i’m not sure I will convince my wife to wake at 6am to run on her holidays. For some people however, you might have options like a friend, spouse, family member, whatever. Try to get them out with you to embrace the holiday fitness routine. It’s safer to run as a pair also in a place you are not familiar with, or in weather conditions not to your typical feel.

4. Be flexible. Remember that its your summer holidays and its not all about fitness, or you for that matter. There will be other people to consider, so don’t create such a strict routine that might be hard to stick to. Just aim to get out two or three times whenever you can. Things will come up, evenings might go on longer than planned. Just run when the time is right. If you don’t feel like wakening up, stay in bed, its your holiday after all. Do try to wake up though, especially if its a hot place.

5. Stay safe. Most important advice. You don’t want the holiday ruined by some silly error that could easily have been avoided by doing more research. This can include running in an unsafe place, or not checking the weather properly. Staying visible is key, and don’t get complacent. Remember you are running in unfamiliar territory. Be careful crossing roads, and remember cars might drive on the oppposite side. Maybe walk the route you want to run for the first time, or do a walk and run session. This way you can scope the surroundings, including the road surface, the sort of people hanging out, or just general areas that may not be safe.

Always carry your phone on you is the last bit of preparation i would advise. Get yourself an arm strap to carry your phone, and wear your watch or gps device. Staying active on holidays can be a challenge but also something very enjoyable if you get to do it. Enjoy the ambience of running in a new location. I will be adding a couple of blogs on my holidays, so you can see how I am getting on.

Keep in touch 🙂

How to not get cramps while running

Cramps during or after a run can be quite common, but luckily, they are easily prevented. Here are my top tips:

  • Hydration: First on the list for obvious reasons. Dehydration causes electrolyte imbalance. When you sweat you lose electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. These are crucial for muscle function and nerve signalling. An imbalance can disrupt these processes leading to involuntary muscle contractions or cramps. Ensure you are well hydrated before, during and after your run. I don’t drink during a run personally unless I’m going over 10k, but your body might be different, so do whatever is best for you.
  • Proper warm-up and cool down: Now, I must be honest, I tend not to stretch before I run. Living in Ireland the temperature is never particularly warm, even in Summer. I usually warm up by very gently jogging or walking fast as stretching when your muscles are cold can cause injuries. Squats and knee raises are also a good option. If I am in a race or aiming for a personal best where I might start quickly, after I complete the above, I will engage in some stretches to make sure my glutes, calves and hamstrings are up to the challenge. Warm down stretches are also important and can prevent a build-up of lactic acid and cramps.
  • Gradual Increase in Intensity: Don’t go from 5k, straight to 10k for the first time. Never increase a run by more than 600m each week. Longest run after 5k should be 5.6k. Then, 6.2k and so on. This gives your muscles time to adapt and will prevent injuries and cramps.
  • Massage and Foam rolling: I am in favour of the foam roller, but my wife loves the massage gun. The foam roller can be tricky at first, but once you get used to the stretches it provides instant relief to those sore muscles after a run. I use it every night before bed, even on days when I do not run. It keeps the muscles lose and lactic acid free.
  • Nutrition: The right nutrition can really help. I know going to a coffee and run club can be great for socialising, but it may not be the best for preventing cramps. Make sure to get some potassium and protein into your body soon after a long run. Supplements can be good, and I use them after long runs. VOW nutrition have some good options and help to replace those lost electrolytes. Balanced diets are key, so try to get some protein, vegetables, carbs, and fruit in after your run. This will help with the recovery process and prevent cramps. Avoid alcohol too soon after running, and at least until you are hydrated (it wouldn’t be an Irish blog, without the mention of alcohol).

Those are my tips, hopefully they are helpful and feel free to comment or subscribe.

ADIDAS ADIZERO PRIME X 2.0 STRUNG REVIEW

You might be wondering where the picture of the shoe is. Well, I do not have
the rights to show it. Screw adidas though, that is their loss of free
promotion. I will say this however, they have made one incredible running shoe.

I came across it when I was searching for a comfortable shoe to run longer
distances in. I have a number of different pairs, but none of them were
particularly holding up well for those slightly longer distances, greater than
15k or runs over the 1hr 20min mark.

Let me start by outlining my pace and performance averages over the last
month. This will be useful for you understand my current ability, what
distances I use the shoe for, and whether it might be the shoe for you.

Ok, so June 2024 was lower than average. I clocked up 115km with my longest
distance been 18km, an average heart rate of 150bpm, pace at 5.53km and a
moving time of 1hr 46min. For some people out there, this is a slow run. I
wanted this however, as I need to get some miles into those long legs of mine
to help me run quicker over shorter distances. The Adizero prime x 2 strung was
the perfect shoe for this, but it can also move quicker when you need it to,
especially for taller, slower runners like me who’s fastest 1k is 4.50km.

Who is the Shoe for (in my opinion):

So, the above information provides you with some light data into the type of
runner I am, and why I found it useful. Perhaps, you are a smaller runner but fast over flat surfaces, or maybe you are a heavier runner. This shoe is perfect for taller to heavier runners looking to break personal bests in the region of
50min for a 10k or 25mins for a 5k. It will bring you all the way up to half
marathon level. It will suit a pace average of between 4 to 5.50k. I found it
difficult to run slower than this in the shoe. It just feels bouncy, and you cannot
help but move your feet quicker.

Shoe specifications:

So, this is a blog post, and it is difficult to give technical details in a
clear written format. For those people who are more particular about
specifications and need the details, I would recommend some YouTube posts by
EDDBUD or KOFUZI. They have slightly different opinions to me on the shoe
itself, and they are at different running capabilities also. However, their
insight and review of shoe specifications are far more advanced than I can do
right now.

Only thing I will say is this, it has a 50mm stack height with an energy
foam layer to reduce weight. This gives it more spring in the fore and
midfoot…. Yes, cool, right?

What surface is it best on?

I live in Ireland as you may know from my other posts. You can read them in
various sections throughout my site – I say various, because I have not got
around to organising the posts just yet.

Ireland is full of all types of terrain and some very unpredictable weather.
Having tested the shoes in all matters, I believe it to run best on smooth and
flatter surfaces. It has run perfectly fine in wet weather and the sole has
held up perfectly, providing sufficient grip to keep me upright and on pace. It
does not perform well on more gravel or Stoney surfaces, so smoother roads or
parks are best. I tend to avoid wet grass when running in general. I find
the ankle support on the shoe to be quite low, so for beginner runners keep
this in mind and try to be careful. Once or twice when the road became slightly
uneven, I did have one or two “oh oh” moments where I slightly rolled
on to my left ankle. Going around turns and corners can feel slightly clumsy
due to the stack height most likely. It feels like I am on platform shoes at
times in these situations. For me, the shoe operates best when on a smooth
 and straight surface, so a road race or a run in a long stretch of park is perfect.

Comfortable?

I cannot even describe how comfortable the shoe is. I have tried to stop
using it so much to give my other ones a turn. It really does feel good over a
number of different paces and distance. It can do easy runs, fast runs and even
long-distance runs (which is why I bought it). 18k to half marathon is perfect
for this shoe and you feel good in it, even towards the last few kilometres. In
other shoes I really struggled towards the 18k mark. Joints started getting
sore and stiff, and I really needed a shoe that could absorb that extra force
my knees and ankles were under. The shoe is perfect for this, and it really
does run like a dream.

I have also run faster 10ks and my current personal best was
obtained using this shoe. It is perfect for race day in fact. I have a pair of
Nike streak fly next percent which are also good over shorter distances for
speed. However, I would not make a comparison between these shoes. Would I
classify the Adidas Adizero prime x strung 2 as a speed shoe? Probably not, as
its slightly heavier than its previous counterpart’s but its right up there.

Cost?

It is expensive! Its right up there at the super shoe prices of €300 in
fact. Look at running shoe outlets or even online where you might find it
slightly cheaper. It comes in a few colours, but this does not change the cost.
For me, they are worth the price and as I wrote in earlier blogs, you cannot
put a price on the right shoes for your feet. I am in training for a sub 50 min
10k. During my program I must run, 14, 16 and 18k long runs. They are slow-paced runs, about 5:15 to 5.50k pace. This shoe is perfect for that, especially if
you are a tall build like me.

Summary

If you are an intermediate runner who is building their way up to half
marathon training for longer distances, and looking for a versatile shoe that
can also give you some speed over 5 and 10k races, this is the perfect shoe. If
you are a beginner starting off, then I would look at the Asics, Brooks or
Hokas for a little bit more ankle support and a shoe better suited for running
slowly. I am not an advanced runner yet at marathon distances, or sub 40min
10ks. Maybe you are? If so, I would love to hear your opinion, so feel free to
leave it in the comments.

I am hoping to run my sub 50m 10k in the next few months, and this will be
my go-to shoe. It is a game changer for me during my running journey so far. It is a bit on the costly side, but having this in my locker gives me great versatility.