Tech review of the Fitbit Charge HR

Today I'm filling you in on the Fitbit Charge HR. This is my first tech review of a product, so I'm sure someday I'll look back and see lots of room for improvement, but we all have to start out somewhere. What I hope to achieve with this tech review is to provide readers with an overview of this product and what I found to work really well and what could use some improvement—essentially all my likes and dislikes. I also give a little general buying advice in my last section of this post. Keep in mind that I'm just one opinion out there in a sea of thousands found on the web. Research some other posts and videos of the product and of course don't forget to compare it to similar models before you spend your hard earned money!

Image 1. Here's the device in it's original packaging.

Product Overview:

The Fitbit Charge HR is an activity tracker that retails for $150. With a little research, you might find this item for anywhere from $20-$25 less than the retail price, especially if you can find it on sale somewhere. A great place to start is Amazon, which is where I bought my device. Being the price conscious consumer I am, I was able purchase it for less than the retail price. It comes in three sizes to fit everyone's wrist and five different colors to suit at least most people's taste for style.

Image 2. A look at the Charge HR out of the box.

The Charge HR falls in Fitbit's product line as a mid-range product. Simpler products that don't measure heart rate are available for a lower price and on the opposite end of the scale are Fitbit's smart watches that track much more than the Charge HR. As an activity tracker, it measures time, steps, distance, floors climbed, calories burned, and active minutes. In addition to this, the charge HR measures continuous heart rate and monitors sleep. All of these activities can be seen through Fitbit's mobile app and online tools that they provide, and this is where you'll review the stats it records for you, as you can only review the current day's stats on the unit itself. The mobile app & online site is also where you can set preferences (set which watch face you like, order in which the stats appear, etc) and change units (miles vs kilometers) on the device.

Additionally, the Charge HR can receive notifications from your smartphone. I have not explored how to set up this feature on the Charge HR and have no desire to, so I will not be focusing on it at all with this review.

Likes:

The biggest thing I like about this device is it's value. I compared many activity tracking devices prior to my purchase basing what I wanted as far as features on the device compared to price. One of the biggest feature that I personally was looking for was a device which recorded stairs climbed. As a runner this feature is importance because I will sometimes use stair climbing as a substitute/cross training method instead of actual running. My research found only a few devices that would record stairs climbed. Couple that with the fact I also wanted to track/record heart rate, and suddenly the choices are severely limited. From my research, if you are looking for a device that records a lot of data and is at a competitive price, the Charge HR is probably one of your better bets.

Overall, the fit of the Charge HR is a positive. Although not super slim, the device is not that thick when compared to most of its competitors and it is not obtrusive when wearing it. I do mention a bit more on wearing the device later in my dislikes and miscellaneous sections. So far it seems to be a very well made product with little complaint on the durability of the device.

Image 3. The device at it's thickest point is ~3/8" thick. Not obtrusive while wearing it though.

Another, key item I really like with Fitbit in general is their mobile app/online tools. I find the interface of their software not just useful but very intuitive for the user. As with any manufacturer's activity tracker, the mobile/online tool is where you'll be viewing the history of what the device is recording and if those suck, well then it's easy for users to be frustrated and not like the product(s). Fitbit does a great job with their software though and I've read others who have echoed similar.

Lastly, battery life has been great so far. On a full charge the Charge HR is supposed to last 5 days, varying slightly depending on how heavy you workout and use Exercise Mode. Having the device 2 weeks now I have only had to charge it 2 or 3 times so far since the initial charging of the device. I feel an average of five days is pretty good, as some reviews of comparable devices need charging more often.

Dislikes:

So far one of the main items that frustrates me is the sleep monitoring feature of the device. This is one of reasons I bought the device in the first place, so for right now I still not liking the accuracy of the device. With the old Fitbit One I used to own, that device I thought had a more intuitive system. For the One, you would press and hold the lone button on the device and it would start in sleep mode. Press the button again when you awake to end sleep mode. Simple right? Well with the Charge HR, it is supposed to know automatically when you go to bed—however so far I haven't found that to be the case. What I have found is that if you're inactive just prior to going to bed then there's a chance the device will falsely use the incorrect start time for your sleep. And I've had this happen on multiple occasions now. There is a way to correct it by going into the mobile app and editing your sleep start time manually after the device syncs with the app, but honestly I find this cumbersome and feel there should be another way to more accurately declare a sleep start time. This device only has one button on it as well and pressing and holding it starts the Exercise Mode instead.

Another key dislike so far is the distance recordings. I have continuously found the device to come up short on distance when compared (while walking) to my pedometer and (while running) compared to my Garmin 305 GPS running watch. As test for distance, in just a walk in my neighborhood, my Fitbit showed 0.61 miles while my pedometer showed 0.74 miles, for a 0.13 difference. I think that seems rather high in just a short walk. That difference in distance is probably around the distance of 2 football fields. During a work day, where I often walk quite far, the differences in distances is more pronounced. For instance, during a 12hr shift recently my pedometer measured 10.7 miles while my Fitbit only recorded 5.7 miles. Part of the difference I know stems from wrist position. Having your wrist in a fixed position, as I often do at work while pushing a wheelchair or stretcher accounts for some of the difference. However, I have seen several times when holding my arm up like you would to read your watch and keeping it there, the device still counts off my steps—so I'm still a bit baffled by when its recording my steps (and thus distance) and when its not counting my steps. Running gives me similar issues as it fall short for distance compared to my Garmin, showing 5.5 miles for a run my Garmin shows 6 miles, and showing 8.5 miles for a run where my Garmin shows 10 miles. Obviously my arm is moving the entire time while running so I don't have the static arm position argument as I do for walking when discuss distance differences. There is an option in the online tools to manually enter a stride length this device, which is what I want to try to see if the results are more comparable. I remember changing from the default with my old Fitbit One and it I did see a marked difference in the distances it recorded. For my pedometer, I had to manually input my stride length for it to calculate distance. I think better results will follow once I do this.

I do have a minor dislike with wearing the device—specifically putting on the device. The small piece of rubber that's on the wrap-around part of the band just seems to be too big (see image 4) When trying to put device the on, it seems really hard to get the start of the excess band underneath that small plastic piece and keep everything secure. Conversely taking off the device seems to be difficult too because of this same situation. Other than that issue, the fit is fine.

Image 4. That small piece hanging down is just long enough that getting the other part of the band under it is tough!

Miscellaneous:

So here's just where I put some other tidbits of info that didn't seem to fit in my prior sections.

I'm putting my advice on heart rate in this section since I'm still somewhat unsure of my thoughts on it. On the good side, I think the Charge HR does a good job of recording resting heart rate. I've found it to be inline with what I know my resting heart rate to be and also compared with what my Garmin 305 shows when using a chest strap. When recording heart rate while exercising though, the water gets a little more murky. During a 6 mile trail run I compared the heart rate of the two device around a dozen times. They varied anywhere from 3 to 15 beats per minutes while running and 15-20 right after my run. In the grand scheme of things I guess that's really not that bad but it's the 15-20 beats per minute difference post run that bugged me. I'll have a few more words on heart rate in my summary at the end of this article.

The other item it records that I'm still torn on is stairs climbed. Again this seems to be affected by what you're wrist is doing while your climbing stairs (ie: swinging vs holding onto a handrail.) In a test of climbing 7 flights of stairs I got various results. In running up these 7 flights of stairs, if with the side I was wearing the device I was using the handrail to help pull me up the stairs, it only recorded one flight—pretty disappointing!!! However with running in a different stairwell where I would use the handrail with the arm I wasn't wearing the device on, it would record either 6 or 7 flights of stairs—a lot better! While just walking up the stairs and not using the handrails, the device recorded 8 flights of stairs—close, but yet again different! This I find simply frustrating. It's close—but only as long as your arm is swinging like in a normal walking motion is what I've found to be true. And with running and using Exercise Mode—well that's anyone's guess! On a 10 mile trail run it recorded just under 70 flights of stairs. So while a.) I didn't climb one actual stair, and b.) there was some degree of elevation gain and loss on this run, I can't imagine that I climbed the equivalent of nearly 70 flights of stairs. The MapMyHike app on my phone that I also used to record the run showed a net elevation gain of 496ft. I'd have to do some research on height gained per flight of stairs, perhaps the math works out. One thing I also don't know is the accuracy of the elevation gain on the MapMyHike app. Personally I'm not sure I believe the accuracy of that either. Overall regarding stairs climbed, it is going to give you a fairly accurate count when you walk stairs, which is what 99% of consumers will be doing. Me on the other hand, I'm in the other 1% who does something else like run stairs and then partially obsess over the accuracy of it when it doesn't seem to match—so take this section for what it's worth.

Next, while I like the device and gaining data about myself, I simply get tired of wearing it at times! It's not that the device is that heavy or bulky, but I just get tired of it being on my wrist sometimes. I think part of it is having it tightness of the device. Wear it too loose and heart rate will either not display or won't be very accurate. Wear it too tight and it feels restrictive. While I have found the notch on the wrist band that best falls in the middle of these two, after continuously wearing the device for over a day, I just need to take it off for awhile each day. Again, I like it a lot, but I just haven't gotten use to it being on my wrist constantly.

One other piece of advice I'd offer is to take the device off and wipe off any sweat if you're sweating from any workouts. From other reviews I read, this is advisable as sweat can decrease the life of the device if in fact any would penetrate the device. Having sweat on a few runs so far while wearing this device I can attest to sweat being on the device post workout and it is something that I myself will have to get in the habit of doing.

Image 5. The underneath of the Charge HR. Suggestion: wipe off any post-workout sweat from this section.

The Final Word:

In summary, even with its minor faults, I really like the Charge HR. I feel it has a great value like I stated initially, and that's what I like the most about this device. The Charge HR records all the metrics that I wanted it to, and I was able to get it at an affordable price. I feel that once I look into the preferences for this device a bit more, especially the sleep tracking and step/distance preferences, I will learn how to set the device to reading more accurately. And with that added accuracy, I will achieve a better value.

If you don't need or aren't interested in heart rate, then you can get a cheaper device that still records everything else. What you should do is make a list of what you want in an activity tracker and what price you're willing to pay. Then research device until you find what fits in those categories. It might take a little time and work but in the end you will be happier with your purchase. What you really want in any activity tracking is something that will ultimately motivate you to move more! As I wrote above, there's going to be some inaccuracies, not just with this device, but with every device. But if it helps you to be more active and become healthier then it's positive. If you're frustrated by the inaccuracies, dive deeper into the manual or others reviews of the product and see if setting can be changed to make the device work better. Just have fun with it.

I hope you found this review helpful and feel free to leave a comment on my post so I can improve and maybe it will inspire me to post future tech reviews. Thank you!

Resources to fill your running down-time

While it has been longer than I would have liked for me to write another post since my last one, I'm finally back again with (hopefully) some useful information that you can use toward improving as a runner.

The focus of this post is how to draw inspiration and knowledge from others. I will mostly be focusing on one method I use for this and relate it to ideas on getting you through this time of year known as winter, which usually challenges us on maintaining our running due to shorter days, colder temperatures, etc.

I've faced this difficulty myself with starting a new job, and working many hours between my two jobs. Mix in the colder temps lately and you'll see why my desire to progress my running has been a slow process. That doesn't mean it isn't possible to focus on other aspects of running!

Whenever I'm not running, this winter I have been turned to podcasts to inspire me to get out there and continue with my running despite days when I simply don't feel like lacing up my running shoes. There are tons of podcasts out there on running and in this post I'll share the ones I've found to be the most helpful and why. My theory is that while I may not be out there running as much in the winter and gaining muscle power, I might as well grow my brain power and learn from what others are putting out there. There is the added bonus that all this content and information in these podcasts is of course free! What better price is there than free? So I encourage you to take a listen to some of the podcasts I mention or find some others—whatever you personally find that works for you. My listing is just a suggestion, and admittedly many are geared toward distance running. That's what I find interesting, covers the type of information I aspire to learn, and the type of running that I aspire to achieve. However within these podcasts are lots of information that can be applied to your running regardless of how far you're running. Just find what you like and is geared toward your goals!

So here is where I'll start my list:

Trail Runner Nation– This is my favorite trail running podcast. I'd say it is my favorite because of the variety of topics covered in their episodes. While some podcasts cover similar topics in the same format, this one really mixes up the topics. The other thing I really like about this podcast is it's geared toward both newbies and experienced trail runners—something that some of the other podcast don't do. Many are geared toward hard core trail runners. You have to start small though before becoming hard core and this is a great podcast to get your elementary education or to take your trail running knowledge to the next level. Interviews with both runners and medical experts, discussions on the culture of trail running, nutrition, hydration, and race preparation are all topics covered by the hosts—which by the way are all trail runners themselves. This podcast does touch upon ultrarunning, but many of the tips are universal and can be applied even if you have no desire to run long distances.

Marathon Training Academy– You might think to yourself— "I'm not training for a marathon, so why would I want to listen to this?" For the same reason I state in my description of some of the other podcasts, it's simply because the content that is delivered in this podcast can be applied to your running regardless of distance—and I think this podcast really excels at that aspect! This podcast is a great place to start if you've never listened to running podcast before. This is easily one of my favorite running podcasts! I think I've listened to every single episode of this podcast (and they've produced over 150 episodes), mostly since the husband and wife hosts provide such a positive vibe in their deliverance of their material. The positivity and common sense approach they deliver their content is what keeps me listening. From beginner to experienced runner, listeners are treated to a great variety of topics covered and material that is applicable no matter where you are in your running. Many episodes focus on training tips but there are several episodes of interviews, which are equally as informative if not even more inspiring. If I had to suggest only one podcast for you to listen to, this would be the one!

UltraRunner Podcast– This podcast is geared toward ultrarunners, as the name implies, and many episodes are interviews with some of today's elite ultrarunners. I find the interviews intriguing since it gives insight as to what makes the best participants in the sport tick when it comes to distance running. A lot of great insight can be obtained on the mental aspect of toughing it out on races or when you're having a bad running day when listening to these elites being interviewed. I find the techniques and tips provided like gathering pieces of a puzzle and thus being able to see the entire picture—it's like having everything at your disposal as you're training for your own race! My theory is you can never have too many training tips—and you're bound to find them on this podcast. If you desire do learn about distance running, this is a great podcast to add to your list.

Talk Ultra– If you're not into ultrarunning and running long distances, then I doubt this podcast will interest you as much as the others do. If you do aspire to get into distance running, as I do, then this is another good one to listen to. It gives a lot of race reviews, which is likely a hit or miss with listeners, considering ultramarathoning is such a niche sport. Nonetheless, there's some interesting info in some of these episodes.

DC Rainmaker– If you're into technology as it relates to running, or cycling or general fitness, then this is the podcast for you. Reviews of running watches and fitness bands from manufacturers like Garmin, Polar, Fitbit, etc. are just a few of the items discussed on this podcast. If wifi scales and cycling power meters are on your shopping list, then you'll likely find info on them as well. Learn about sports technology industry trends and you'll be on your way to spending your money wisely for your tech gear. Head on over to his blog at www.dcrainmaker.com. While this podcast is OK, I love his blog which contains plenty of in-depth reviews with lots of photos each product being reviewed. If you've never been to the dcrainmaker.com blog, you don't know what you're missing!

Well, I hope this list is helpful to you. In conclusion, at the very least I hope this post serves as inspiration for you to find something to fill your time or give you something to listen to while you're out there running on the roads or trails. Like I said, find what works for you! If you do find a great podcast out there that you feel is above the rest, feel free to leave a reply and let me know what you found! And as always, feedback on this blog is always welcome and appreciated.

Running the Susquehanna Super Hike... Finally!

Today's post is both a race review and a look at my thoughts on actually getting to compete in that race. The two go hand-in-hand really and I saw no reason to separate them so I'm taking my writing liberties and mashing them together!

Yesterday was a big day for me. I finally got the chance to run an event I've wanted to for four years! That event was the 25K Susquehanna Super Hike. This event, along with the 50K Ultra Trail Run, is held by the Keystone Trails Association (KTA). Participates can hike or run either distance.

Both events start in Lancaster County and end in York County Pennsylvania. The 25K starts at Holtwood Recreation Area and follows the Conestoga Trail south, crosses the Norman Wood bridge to York County, makes a quick southbound loop using part of the Mason-Dixon Trail, then proceeds north on the Mason-Dixon Trail to Otter Creek Campground. The 50K uses the same route, just adding a start about 9 or 10 miles further north on the Conestoga Trail at Pequea Creek Campground, and a roughly 5 mile loop north of Otter Creek Campground at the end of the race.

The course is a trail event, only running on roads for two stretches. The vast majority of both the trails are single track, but there are spots where you can pass someone if needed. The trails are not easy, especially the Conestoga section for the 50K. That section is very hilly and can wear you out if you're not used to hill work. Most of the course is technical too. You'll easily encounter rocks, roots, stumps, water crossings and occasionally go either over or under a fallen tree. To me it adds to the fun of the challenge. In both races there are some sections where you need to climb over some huge rocks too, so if they're slippery it can be difficult and you need to be careful or you could potentially get hurt. I talked to a few participates of the 25K after the race and they told me how this was there first race. Not just their first 25K race—but their first race ever. This really shocked me but all said they enjoyed it!

The upside to running (or hiking) such hilly course is, in my opinion, the serenity of it. For one, I didn't know until a couple of years ago that these trails existed so close to home and thus had the chance to feel like I was hiking someplace far away that was really only a 45–60 minute drive. There is such a feeling of being out in nature and away from it all, that for me at least, takes me to another world in a sense. When out on either of these trails I tend to forget my stresses and be at peace. I can't wait for what I might see or find. The water rushing over rocks, birds singing their song, flowers blooming at the side of the trail—all these draw me in and make me want to explore what the trail(s) have to offer. I think the water running down the various small streams along the course is what calms me the most.

I would encourage any readers of this post to get out and explore either one of these trails if you like getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

That covers the topic of the race and the course. Switching to how I did and felt about the race, I have to backtrack and cover why this race was important to me.

In 2011, when I first signed up for this event, hurricane Irene (I believe?) barreled up the east coast of the US and flooding of the Susquehanna River forced cancellation of the event. This was such a bummer to me because I was so excited to do this event! It was around this time when I first starting getting into hiking and trail running so the learner and explorer in me was in full gear. Going on a group preview hike of the course really had sparked my interest, and even though I would have to hike the event I was ready. The flood forced me to wait to 2012, but at least this gave me time to truly prepare, and in fact build up my endurance to actually run the race instead of hiking it. I likely over-trained though. I did a lot a trail running and focused on hill climbing because I knew I would need it for the race. My body did not cooperate. The day before the race I woke up with a cold. I rested as much as I could but when I woke up early on race day, I knew my cold had defeated me. So I did not go the race—I knew it was too much. It was another year of disappointment! By 2013, I had started college and had decreased my running. By 2014, I was in the physical therapy program for my career reinvention and that was in full swing. Running in 2014 was just to maintain a base, there was no time for long distance racing.

Now it is 2015. While I knew that I'd only get to do the 25K, since 50K training was just too fast for me to ramp up to, I did know this was year was finally the year to line up at the starting line. I almost added another reason I didn't get to do this event when and episode of shin splints started bothering me 4 weeks ago! I had to CAREFULLY manage that episode, mainly because I had discomfort when just walking for extended time, yet alone tasks like faster hiking or (especially) running. In my last post I discussed this if you’d like to more reading on it. Getting in the proper rest did allow me to heal and slowly get back to running to prep for this event. Honestly, I was probably under-trained though—at least for where I would have liked to have been. I did the best I could though with the hand I was dealt.

This was one of few events I felt nervous. There was part of me that wondered if there was some reason I wasn't supposed to do race. Was my injury another reason? Luckily I got to the starting line this year though and for the most part the nervousness was gone as I picked up my race bib and began to prepare mentally prior to the start of the race. I positioned myself mid-pack at the start—in a sense to force myself not to start out too fast. By the point where the course narrowed to single file I was where I should be—up with the runners but not too far up that I would be pushed by their pace. I worked in a just a little (power) walking during the early trail sections but overall felt good early on.

Crossing the Norman Wood Bridge is the area I wasn't sure how to handle. One part of me wanted to get across the bridge as quickly as I could (I find this part boring) and another part wanted to take it slow (I was worried about running on the harder surface.) I ended up taking a conservative approach crossing the bridge since it's only 2 miles into a 15-mile race. Better to be safe than sorry I figured. After crossing the bridge, it was onto a southbound section of trail, some rock scrambling and then a little more road running until the course headed north on the Mason-Dixon Trail. I was glad the forecasted rain didn't start yet for the rock scrambling is the dangerous part if it's wet. The light mist that had started falling did seem to affect the terrain just yet. That had been one of my bigger worries for the course but it was in the past now and was fine.

Now started the first to the two big climbs for the 25K. I was in a pack of a few other runners which slowed me a bit but that was probably a good thing, for later in the race I remember looking at my Garmin GPS watch and thinking how even though I covered nearly 10 miles I still had another major climb and 5+ miles to go—all with a increase intensity of rain that was falling. The climb went better than I expected as well as the descent not being nearly as bad as I remembered. I ran the relatively flat section that followed and then again power walked the second major climb to the second checkpoint. This climb was not nearly as steep as the first but it seems to go on forever so I didn't push the pace here. My main thinking was to save my energy (and postpone any over-exertion of my slightly hurting leg) in order to speed up and minimize time spend in the rain during the road section that followed where I would be out in the open and sure to get wet if the rain really picked up. Luckily the rain slowed and I got through this (boring) section and back into the woods before the rain started to pick up. Being back in the woods and running single track was where I felt at home again and I also knew I was in the home stretch. On the other side of the woods would be the campground and the finish line—not to mention food too! My leg was feeling fine so I was able to run the entire section in the woods and on through to the finish line.

The campground and finish came upon me faster than I thought it would. My watch showed that I roughly two miles to go but I wasn't going to complain when I finally got finished and crossed the finish line in under 3 hours. While I didn't truly have a goal time in my head I was hoping for something in the 3:00 to 3:30 time range if everything went right for me—which it did. My finish time was 2 hours 51 minutes—again faster than I thought it could be. Perhaps the course was short as I heard some other racers say their watch was around the same distance as my (13.64 miles.) 25 kilometers is equal to 15.53 miles. One racer I talked to said the KTA's measurement of the course was within a tenth of a mile of the 25K distance and several runners commented that GPS watches might have lost signal in some of the valleys of the course.

Regardless, I was very happy. My finish time suited me fine and I finally got out was able to do this event which escaped me for one reason or another for several years. And I even beat the heavier rain. It wasn’t long after I finished that it started to rain to the point of it wouldn't take long to get truly wet and by the time the bus came to shuttle runners back to the starting point that it was a complete downpour. I felt bad for the other runners, and especially the hikers, that were still out on the course. I'm sure there were spots that were slowly turning into a sloppy, wet mess. I'm sure some of those were also a slippery, wet mess too!

The other item I’m happy with is the fact that later after the race and even into today I have only very minor discomfort in my leg. I think my careful management of how I felt in both my training and the race yesterday will allow me to keep running and not have to take any sort of significant break from running.

In summary, I'm thankful I (finally) had the chance to do this event and mostly has me looking forward to greater things as far as running goes. I really want to try an ultramarathon some day. I'm really thinking that this might be the event to do it. Honestly the best and most rewarding spots are only seen if you do the 50K. Pinnacle Outlook and Kelly's Run in Lancaster County and Urey Outlook in York County are only covered if you do the 50K—so while both challenging and beautiful, you're really getting cheated in a sense if you "only" do the 25K. I'll see how life allows for training for an ultra, but in the back of my mind I already have my heart set on this goal!

Adjustments

If you've been a runner for any length of time, I'm sure you've encountered a period when something has really thrown you off your game plan and made you really contemplate how you're going to get through it. Whether it be an injury, a scheduling conflict or any number of other life events, I feel it's when we sit down and are forced to develop a new plan that we learn what we're truly capable of.

I'm going through this experience right now. I'm having discomfort in my lower right leg, which at times in recent weeks has reduced me to stop running completely for almost a week at a time—which for me is a long time. This is while I'm trying to prepare for a 25K trail race—one that's only a few weeks away! And a race that I wanted to do but couldn't for one reason or another for four years straight!

The discomfort in my leg was only there sporadically but became constant after a recent training run. In part that run was to test my leg and see how I do, both physically and mentally, with running when my body is not 100%. I found out that I can push through it. I found out more than that though. I found out that I would pay the price for pushing though. Running wasn't an option anymore when just walking for extended periods worsened the discomfort. I waited to resume a return to running until I had one complete day of my leg feeling fine. But even after one very short run that was slow, my leg felt horrible the next day. This told me that I was trying to come back to soon. I had to listen to the feedback that my body was giving me. I felt that trying to run through this discomfort would do nothing but cause injury, and leave me worse off in the long-term.

There is an option to hike this 25K race, so getting back to running wasn't completely necessary for this event, but deep down I wanted to run as much as I possibly could. Since running just seemed to exacerbate the discomfort in my leg, I knew that hiking was where my focus had to turn. As long as I could get back to the point where constant walking, in this case hiking, then I would be fine to complete this event that I was so looking forward to doing.

My new (short-term) goal was to get my body back to the point where I could cover the distance without doing any running. My long-term goal of course was slowly return to running and build up my distance. I was fairly certain I could pull this off because I actually did it once before to get through a marathon. Dealing with the same issue, I used a run/walk method to get through 26.2 miles. I ran for 5 minutes and then walked for 5 minutes. That wasn't how I wanted to complete that marathon years ago but it was better than not doing it all.

During that process of adjusting my training for that marathon, I learned how to better listen what my body is telling me. Dealing with discomfort or pain isn't the same as going out for a run when you're feeling tired or have a nagging ache. It can mean not running at all. I had to learn to have more patience even if it meant not running when I think I can, in order to let my body heal. This is a hard lesson to learn but one that is necessary for long-term success.

Speaking of that, I also learned that sacrificing the short-term is sometimes necessary to achieve the long-term plans. If you have many races on your calendar or several goals that you're working toward, it might be necessary to give up one of upcoming races or goals in order to do your best and be healthy for the bigger race or goal somewhere out in the distance that you really want to achieve. Just because you disregard a short-term goal doesn't mean there isn't addition by subtraction!

Finally, I learned that my mental strength grew as a result of my diminished physical strength. In the end, I completed that marathon in a respectable time and could use everything I learned should I encounter similar situations again. Here it is three years later and I'm having the same issue again only now I have previous experience and knowledge to draw upon and use to get through this upcoming event. The mind is a powerful tool to use in running, you just have to use it for good and not evil (in lack of better terms.) During that training run that led to this discomfort, I had a set distance I really wanted to get in as preparation for this 25K race. While I did cut that training run short, I should have cut it a lot shorter than what I really did. My leg was bothering me during the run but I thought I could get through it. I was wrong. While it's a hard lesson to learn, being wrong isn't always bad. I learned to be more patience and listen to what my body is telling me as a result of this issue I'm having.

With just shy of two weeks before this event, I am now able to run short distances again, as a result of taking more rest than I think I need. It's listening to that feedback though that taught me I really do need that extended rest. I also know that I have to dial back the intensity at which I do my training runs too—again it's about making a conscious effort to remember what you want to achieve in the long-term. I have to reset my goals upon examination of just how I feel both during and after each run. In all honesty I think I'm better off still hiking and just work in small amounts of running should my body allow it during this event.

I'm looking forward to finally competing in this trail event in 13 days!

Back to racing—finally!

It's my belief that there's just a certain feeling that comes over you whenever you're running in a race. It's a combination of excitement, competitiveness, and adrenaline mostly. I hypothesize that it comes from being around other like-minded individuals as your training and hard work culminates when you put forth your best physical, mental, and emotional effort to see just where you stand, both against your prior self and against others. I experienced that again today for the first time in a long time!

Being a sunny, hot and humid day in August—I sweated—a lot! However, there's simply no way I'd trade the feeling I received from competing in this race. The event I competed in was the 15K distance of the On The Rocks Trail Run at Rocky Ridge Park in York, PA. It's a race that I've run several times before and one of the races I look forward to every year. While I ran what I'll call a "somewhat hard effort" of the 10K distance of this race last year, along with a few select others last year, it's difficult to call any of them truly racing. So when that competitive fire found me again today for the first time in around two years, it was like finding and reconnecting with an old best friend.

My two previous posts in this blog discuss why my running took a backseat and my difficulties with returning to running. The content of those posts is what made today have importance to me. And truthfully I didn't set out to really race this event. What this event was suppose to do was serve as an assessment of my fitness and readiness for a just as hard 25K event I have coming up in 6 weeks. This was going to be the closest thing to that 25K and provide more feedback for me than any amount of training runs. Of course I get to compete in a quality race that I love as a bonus!

I don't actually know what my finish time was for this race. My best guess is a finish time somewhere between 1hr 30min and 1hr 40min—I'll find out when they post race results but as of this writing they weren't posted. The reason I don't know my finish time is I forgot my watch so I ran the entire race just based on how I felt. When the hills were too much and reduced me to power hiking, that's what I did. I wasn't alone in doing this, and even if I was, I wouldn't have been ashamed. From past experience, I think the power hiking actually saves me energy at spots on uphill sections. During the race there was one spot that was a long uphill, and while I was power hiking, I actually gained ground on a runner in front of me while he was still doing his slow running. Soon I passed him and I didn't feel too bad at the top of the hill. I know had I attempted to run the entire hill I would have stressed myself to the point of fatigue from a cardiovascular viewpoint and lack being able to recover nearly as fast and pick up my pace again.

Going back to my point about forgetting my watch, I think that probably helped me today. Instead of continually watching my pace and mile splits, I was back to the basics and doing something that myself and many other runners should probably do more often. Running on how I feel forced me to assess both my body and my mind. And it was the information that I got from doing this that is essentially what I was after in the first place—learning how I felt on uphills and on flats and near the end of the race. It is all information that I can apply both in upcoming training runs and my 25K. Sure I don't have my mile splits, but in reality, it's the story behind those mile splits that really tells why each of them are what they are. So while forgetting my watch initially stressed me out, instead I tried an alternate approach that was really closer to what I needed to do anyway.

I was glad I felt good today and that this race went well for me. Believe me, this was by no means an easy race! What felt best was that I didn't feel intimidated by the course at any point. Even with knowing this race would end with a long uphill climb, I didn't feel like that section wore me out like it has in the past. Yes, it was difficult and again reduced me to hiking but I never felt the intensity of tiredness like I have in the race previously. I'm hoping that was the result of the hill work I did in my training! I was concerned prior to the race about how today was going to go. The longest training run I did was right around 8 miles so I barely got in the proper training. Secondly, for whatever reason, I didn't sleep well this past week and have been increasingly tired despite purposeful efforts to get sufficient sleep.

I think that's why everything coming together today has surprised me. It's been so long since I truly raced, and with likely being slightly undertrained, I am surprised this race went so well. A 14th place finish is definitely good enough for me! I think about 40–50 runners ran this distance judging from the tags on the finishing board at the finish line.

Going forward I know that I still have work to do for my upcoming 25K in the name of increasing my distance and continued work on hills. With today's race letting me know that I still can be competitive, I know that have indeed increased my fitness and endurance level since once again making running a priority. Had this race proved to set me in my place and fatigue me to the point of letting doubt creep into me, I would have really had to reassess how I was going to pull off this 25K in 6 weeks. However, with that thought now erased, I can move forward with at least moderate ease and continue hitting the trails and still have fun while out on them instead of getting so into my training that I don't even get to enjoy the nature that's around me. And that's what I really love when I'm out there, getting in tune with nature and marveling at what it can provide to all of us!

Getting back into it—the follow-up

In my last post, I wrote about how running took a backseat while I went back to school to learn a new career.

In this post, I'll discuss more in depth the struggles I faced with my running and what I used to get through those times in order to keep some degree of continuity to my running.

I mentioned in my prior post about maintaining a running base. This was done for many reasons. Most of all, running is just part of who I am and who I've become. So not continuing with it, even while going back to school, was out of the question. Most of the time running is as much mental for me as it is physical. With the increased stress I was facing, I knew running was the outlet that would assist me in decreasing my stress. Running also clears my head. This is something that many times I would have problems with when going out for a run while I was in school. I would use the running as a time to quiz myself on the material I was reviewing for a test. What this did was stress me out—the exact opposite of why I went out running in the first place! Lastly, keeping that base was done so I could get back to doing races more quickly once school was completed.

What I didn't think would be so challenging was progressing past this base. I've had about 3 months since my internships were completed for school and it was at that point where I tried to increase the frequency and mileage of my running. While I was still strained mentally from the preparation of studying for a state board exam, the physical part of my running was still rusty as well. Most of my runs were still in the 3 mile range but still felt labored. My progression past my base was not going to plan. I didn't think I had lost this much fitness and endurance. This frustration made me start doubting myself. Was I going to be able to get back to running races as quickly as I wanted to?

I think the biggest obstacle was lack of structure. I still wasn't planning my running like I had been prior to going back to school. I was just working it in when I could. In essence, I still wasn't making running a priority. An ever changing work schedule contributed to my lack of running consistency as well. What I had to do was analyze all aspects of my running and how I could get back on track.

Another obstacle I was facing was running solo. Running alone is something I've discovered really has its advantages and disadvantages. While it's nice to run at your own pace and not have to worry about pushing the pace too much or too little while running with others, I've grown increasingly aware of how tough tackling training alone can be. At one time (years ago) I was a regular at a group run, which was really helpful in my training when comparing notes with other runners. A changing work schedule turned me into someone who joined whenever they could, which was rather infrequent. Going back to school made it nearly impossible to join the group. Thus most of my running again was done solo. Then for awhile last year I had a running partner, which again proved to be beneficial for me. During some of most intense part of my schooling, my mileage actually increased. Most of the benefit was from a mental or emotional perspective but of course I was achieving a physical benefit from the increased mileage too. But after my running partner and I ceased running together, yet again I was faced with running solo. This time it felt tougher. I had really gotten used to having someone to chat with while running and I realized the conversation we had served as a great distraction to how tough even a small hill had become!

What I had learned was to try and not become too accustom to any one type of running. I need to take the fact I was running solo and get back to a greater degree of analysis on how I was reacting to each time I went out to run. If I was able to run with someone or in a group then I'd allow myself to be more casual and relaxed with my running, but if I was out on my own I would use my introspection to my advantage. I looked at things like how stressed I felt prior to the run, how time crunched I was, and the difficulty of the course I was running. From this I could see if one of those was holding me back and determine how to make changes.

To start increasing my distance and spend more time on my feet, I turned to another approach. I knew that attempting to run farther wasn't likely to work, in that it would only tire me out and it didn't seem logical since my shorter distance running wasn't going well. Instead I turned to hiking. This tactic allowed me to work toward my goals but put forth less effort to achieve them. Most of this hiking was done a fairly quick pace so that I still received the most benefit from my time outdoors. After all, with balancing study time and work in with my running, I had to put forth solid efforts and have a purpose with each time I was out working towards get back in shape.

Lastly, signing up for a race is another powerful motivator for providing incentive to increase your running. This was really my goal all along—get back to the point where I could be confidence in my racing ability. I never really go out to compete against others or place in a race. The only real competitor I have is myself. I want to see how I can improve, and become better and faster. Once you have to pay money, suddenly training becomes a priority—especially when you're cost conscious like I still am. This year I've picked just a few select races to do. Mostly that's because money is tight for me right now but it was also done in order to more easily sharpen my focus. With only a few races to do, I can better determine what areas I should give attention to. The biggest for me is distance and it's one where at times I still do feel slightly in over my head. With that being said, that serves as a great motivator because I really don't like being in over my head!

I only now truly feel like I've turned a corner in my running, and I still have a good way to go to get where I'd like to be, but right now I'm happy with my progress and know I'm moving in the right direction. Look for an update on how my progression is going and likely a race review or two in a future post.

If you have any comments on this post please write one in the comments field and thanks for reading!

Getting back into it.

Getting back into it—that title has duel meaning.

While I really love running, it has taken a backseat to other priorities for the last 18 months, if not longer. I went back to school to learn a new career in a fairly new field for me. While I have worked in a medical setting for a few years now, I was not exposed to the same level of technical knowledge that I would be required to learn to become a physical therapist assistant (PTA). I knew becoming a full time student would mean my running, along with many other things in life, would become a lesser priority. I was fine with this. Running wasn't going to disappear for me but it would slow down, both literally and figuratively. It was simply what needed to be done in order to "re-invent" myself professionally.

I have just reached the end of my re-invention, having completed internships, graduated, and now having passed my state board exam in order to obtain my license. So with less studying and reviewing, I am set to get back into running the way I'd truly like to. The entire time I was in school (three years total), I still maintained a base with running. That was essentially my running goal—maintain a base so that I don't have to COMPLETELY start over after my schooling.

So with more time and energy to devote to running, I've now been getting back into serious running mode. I miss the feelings I get when I'm having a good run and the sense of accomplishment from climbing a hill. Most of all I miss the way I feel so in touch with nature when I'm out trail running. I want to find all of those again for they have largely been missing for over a year now.

The other item I'm getting back into is starting this blog again. Honestly, unlike my running, I don't where this will go. My goal is share ideas and thoughts and info about running so that others can learn and grow as runners too. But how often and what topics are still up in the air. My only real thought is to try and complete about one post every month. Ideally I'd post more often but I feel that's probably unrealistic, at least right now. I see the blog evolving and ever-changing, that's about all I can say right now.

Since I'm undecided on direction, that presents you—the reader, with an opportunity to help shape this blog. If there's a topic, question, thought or idea that you have, please feel free to comment and provide input! Perhaps it will spark a future blog post.