Yesterday we had our first Women’s Night in the store, with our super guest Magda Lewy-Boulet. She is so cool! Attendees got to run with Magda (if they wanted) and then hang out while Magda shared her running experiences. We also talked about women-specific products – some that are really great, like the Nathan pack that Magda actually helped design, and other products that just change the size and color to make it “suitable” for a woman. Of course, great products don’t have to be women specific. Most of the time, sports nutrition is sports nutrition, and if you want fewer calories, you just use less of it. Magda also likes GU products (she worked there for several years), in particular the GU Electrolyte drink and GU Recovery drink (Strawberry Watermelon – mmm). The GU formula has the carbs and electrolytes you need, and nothing that you don’t need. No artificial colors or flavors.

Everybody got goodie bags and we raffled off some fun prizes. It was great to have everyone talk about running and things related to running too, like diet and rest and recovery. It seems like more women are getting into running than ever before. Take a look around you next time you’re out running or biking – I noticed way more women than men out for their Sunday afternoon jog. Some were in pairs, some alone, but they were getting out there, and that’s really cool.

Suggestions for more women’s nights? Let me know!

Gillian

This week, we ran the Black Mountain trial (trail trial) again, and I got it down to 1:12. I felt like throwing up at the top, but recovered quickly to run fast all the way down. So now that we’re feeling good, the only things to worry about are heat training and organizing gear, crew, pacer and all that. And Sunny the cat-sitter. Heat training can mostly be taken care of by sauna time. It’s quite effective to get in the sauna, add extra clothes (non-breathable waterproof jackets are a plus), drink water and electrolytes and take it from there. Heat adaptation can take place in as little as two weeks–conveniently about the same time as a good taper.

Here’s another thing I’ve been trying to sort out. What shoes to wear? My favorites right now are the Sportiva Crosslite and the New Balance WT840. But, the Crosslite is so firm, it’s hard to iimagine it going the distance and the 840 is kind of shapeless like a sausage, it’s hard to imagine my feet loving it for that long. I think if I have two pairs of each I can switch off as needed. For sure I know I will be in the Crosslite for the first 30 miles. They will be great in the snow (as tested on the training run), and give me the confidence boost that I need for that part of the course. From there I’m not so sure.

Another shoe note, for Badwater I’m really unsure. I have always run in Asics shoes on the roads, but their latest versions of my favorite models don’t work as well for my feet. I need some more road time to figure this stuff out. Oh yeah, and I also need another crew member… Who’s up for a super hot vacation in Death Valley in July?

Gillian

The weather was nice – still wore a long sleeved top, but I was comfortable. They don’t have as many aid station stops for the training runs as they do for the race, but the stops are most excellent! PB&J sandwiches, PayDay bars, watermelon, potatoes, potato chips, goldfish, Oreo cookies (yay), coke, V-8 juice, just to name a few things. Gets you thinking about what you’ll be eating during the race. Also, of course, the people are so great. My first ultra was back in 1999, so over all this time Don and I have gotten to know a lot of people. And everyone is so happy and friendly. How can you not be, when you’re out in such beautiful country? The uphills were fine, the downhills were even better, and the finish was very cool. The Monsters of Massage were there and do a great job, painful, but great. The elbow in the butt seems to be the best treatment for runners. I feel like it cured all my pains.

The second day’s run was from Foresthill down to the Rucky Chucky river crossing, with a 3 mile climb to get up from the river. Race director Greg Soderlund told everyone to “take the time to dip your feet in the river” so that’s what we did. A good runner follows directions well. The day got hot, and I experienced my first dehydration of the season. That felt a little bad, but replenishing with cold, cold GU Brew and water and Coke felt so good. And then, after that climb to the finish, we got hot dogs! And Sprite too, while sitting in the sun.

I felt good after the back-to-back runs (still feel good) and was a little sad we were leaving that day instead of staying for the third run, but it all worked out well. Monday was Zombie catch-up day, preparing for a nice busy Tuesday. And then on to more training!

Gillian

Don and I are training for the Western States 100 Mile Run this year! It’s coming up fast, and being so busy all the time, it’s hard to fit in those every day runs. So, we try to be pretty specific about our training. One thing that seems to make a big difference is going to the gym and doing workouts with weights. On the weight machines. Yeah, I know. I’m a runner, I want to run. The first time it’s so hard to convince myself to go there. There’s nothing to look forward to – no sweet smell of trail dirt, no happy birds, no purple and yellow wildflowers, just sweaty machines and bad music. But after a few times there’s a feeling of strength. And, when I do get out on the trails, finally, I can get up a hill without stopping for breath and without the horrible dead feeling in my legs. Insead of being a runner who says, “I suck at hills,” I feel respectably strong and able to push, even run, up those things.

The idea, of course, for a runner is not to bulk up or be top heavy, but to increase strength and tone of muscles, which also helps to burn some more fat. (Another goal is to get down to race weight, but that seems to be tough, too.) The self-designed program is a bit of everything, focusing on weak spots. Weight machines can help balance out muscles that get over used. For example, my quads get stronger from running, but the hamstrings are weak, so I always do hamstring curls. The upper body gets totally neglected, so that’s where a lot of focus is. Bicep curls? Ugh. A strong arm swing can help a lot with running. And core strength (abs and lower back) is important for holding your body upright.

Last year I didn’t do any weight training when I was training for the Headlands 100 Miler. I think my fastest time on one of our test trails was 1:27. That’s from the bottom of Rhus Ridge to the top of Black Mountain. I guess it’s not far – less than 4.5 miles, but it’s all uphill. Last week I ran it in 1:19! And I’m not done training yet.

So, the next strategic focus is to do a little more work on lateral strength, because guess what? The Western States course is full of snow right now. Hopefully it will melt quickly, but balance is going to be very important.

And no fear. Grrrrr.

Gillian

I’ve mentioned to people that I’ve run to work. It’s really short (I’m lucky) – less than 2 miles according to Don. But if you do it every day it all adds up, so it’s good. And, since it’s so short, it’s a good opportunity to try out new shoes without worrying about overdoing it.

The other weekend I tried out the Vibram FiveFingers KSOs (again). I’ve run and walked and hung out in them some before, but it’s been about 6 months since I put them on. I get cold toes! And I wasn’t running for a few months. On Sunday I needed to get over to the ZombieRunner store to check on some things and rather than drive such a short distance, I ran. The other good thing was that I didn’t need my laptop, just some keys. So off I went with only that.

It’s a super light feeling to run in almost bare feet with no extra stuff. No water bottle, no backpack, no waistpack. I’m not sure if I was faster or slower, but I felt like running forever. This is the danger of the FiveFingers – over exuberance when your legs aren’t used to working that way. I sure felt it in my calves later. But in the meantime, on the run I was trying to figure out where exactly I should land on my foot and how exactly to get the heel down. Maybe the main thing is that even with low profile running shoes, we are still so used to having a heel, that no matter how you run in FiveFingers (or barefoot) it’s going to work your calves, just because the heel is now so low to the ground. So I tried not to think about it and basically land sort of midfoot and to the outside of the foot. That way I wouldn’t just tip-toe, which would really hurt my calves.

California Ave. has a year round farmer’s market every Sunday right in front of our store! Don turned up a little bit after I got there (and after I had cooled down) and we shopped for our breakfast/lunch and dinner items. There’s good stuff to eat right away like Raw Daddy’s cones, popcorn, baked goods, crepes, Indian food, and stuff for later like salad greens, micro greens (cool!), cheese, bread, roasted chicken and potatoes, other fresh vegetables, and a bunch more.

We had our breakfast patries with ZR coffee, fixed up the store for the upcoming week and headed for home.

Later in the day, we went on our real run, 2 hours or so out in the Los Altos Hills area. Sort of a road run, but dirt paths on the side of the road and a good amount of hills make it a psuedo trail run. I like it becuase there’s no driving involved. Just run out the door and in a short amount of time you’re in the hills!

Gillian

The other morning I did something I haven’t done in a long time. My schedule doesn’t allow it very well. I have a zombie work ethic – about 3 am is often the time I go to sleep, so there’s no extra time in the morning before business hours. Anyway, I got up before I had to go to the Zombie store and went for a RUN. It was even raining. The way to motivate yourself to run in the rain is to have some cool new gear to try out. I figured California rain was the perfect test for the Golite Bookcliffs wind jacket. It’s not a water proof piece, but it has wind/water resistance in the front and is totally breathable (great when it’s pretty warm out) in the back. The back is actually the same material as the Golite baselayers. But the best thing about this jacket is that it looks great. It doesn’t ride up and fits really nicely at the waist.

The run was about 45 minutes, out by Gunn High School, waved to many dog walkers and only one or two other runners. I also tested some shoes we are considering: the Brooks Racer ST 4. If you had told me a couple years ago that I could run in racing flats, I would have said no way. But now with the theories of barefoot running and mid/forefoot strike, running footwear has taken on a whole different dimension for me. This shoe is a stability racer, so it still has a heel and some dense material to provide support. The forefoot is very flat and the upper is super light. The design is snazzy – shiney black and gold laces – which I’m sure makes you run faster. Probably the part I liked most is the lack of plastic overlays. The open toebox design means there’s nothing nasty to pinch my feet. Still, I wonder if this shoe would work for people who need a little more width. I wear standard width women’s shoes and the Racer ST was ok for me, but it’s actually a unisex shoe.

By the time my run was over, I had figured out how to run in those shoes and was very comfortable. I loved the jacket. It didn’t swish loudly like some other ones I’ve tried. No chafing either. I didn’t feel tired at all, and best of all, I had the whole day ahead of me. The morning run also helps with maintaining body temperature through the rest of the day. Something about getting your circulation going. So, yes, provided I can get to bed before 2 am, the morning is my favorite time to run.

Gillian

If you put the Raptor side-by-side with La Sportiva’s Wildcat, you’ll see a lot of similarities. They’re built on the same framework – the outsole looks the same, same support system, same shaped upper. But there are some noticeable differences that will make all the difference to trail runners. One is the cushioning. If you thought the Wildcat was plush, (maybe too plush?) the raptor changes things by taking out the 2.4mm layer of LaSpEVA. Without the cush, the shoe has a low-to-the-ground, more aggressive feel to it. It also seemed like the heel-to-forefoot ratio changed, but that could be my imagination. The firm feeling compares favorably to the Crosslite, which is a super firm racing shoe.

The other difference in the Raptor is the TPU lacing harness. If the Wildcat felt a little wide in the midfoot, the Raptor snugs up nicely, “wrapping” your foot through the mid. This should add a bit more of that huggy feeling that’s apparent in the Crosslite and the Fireblade. Another cool thing is the type of rubber used on the outsole. It’s a stickier compound so it will work great on a course like, oh, let’s say the Ohlone 50K or even the Western States 100 Miler. Think slippery, rocky downhills that you can now cruise down with total confidence. Like the Wildcat, the Raptor has nice support from the heel cup through the arch and, as I’ve seen with all Sportiva trail shoes, the ankle collar is nicely done, causing no rubbing, slipping or ankle bruising.

Finally, the Raptor just looks cool. It’s clearly a La Sportiva shoe with its black and yellow, the logo blazing across the side. I’d put it right in between the Crosslite and Wildcat in its performance and cushioning ratings.

Gillian

So far, “Did Ronald McDonald design your shoes?” was the first question I got that gave me an inkling other people may not find the color scheme of the Brooks Green Silence racing flat as cool as I do. But I guess bright red and yellow aren’t for everyone.

Anyway, trends in minimalist footwear and eco-friendly production have come together to produce this shoe. Since I’ve been moving from super supportive (old Montrail Hardrock pre-09 and Continental Divide) to lighter weight trail shoes, I liked the idea of this shoe too. It’s not a trail shoe. The tread is quite flat. In fact, the whole shoe is quite flat. This suits my feet well, as I have low arches and like a wide platform. The fit of the shoe is roomy in the toe box and snugs up fairly well in the midfoot. The lacing system is asymetrical, with a one-sided tongue, but this stays in place better than expected.

For those who want a minimalist shoe, this racing flat might seem too cush, but the midsole is a single piece construction that has a flat profile. In other words, even though your foot is raised a little off the ground, your heel is not any higher than your forefoot. The upper is made of super light material that doesn’t create any pressure points. A big plus is that there are no heavy plastic overlays – this always scores points with me. At 6.9 ounces, the Green Silence is the lightest shoe on the ZombieRunner floor.

I took it out for a run around the block (I haven’t run very much lately) and after settling down a bit, felt happy in the shoes. I have yet to try them on a long run, but when I choose a pair of shoes to wear to the store every day, it’s the bright red and yellow ones that call to me. Here’s to happy running!

Gillian

Drinking five cups of coffee a day could reverse memory problems seen in Alzheimer’s disease, US scientists say.

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8132122.stm