Going Outside In Any Weather

I like to think I'm fairly committed to my running routine or my bike rides.  But I also live in a city called Richmond, which is directly south of Vancouver, BC.  And it rains here... a lot.  From growing up here, I have a bit of a motto when it comes to the rain: if you're not willing to do it in the rain, it'll never get done.

A lot of people rarely go out in the rain and constantly adjust or reschedule plans when the inevitable rain is forecast for their weekend activity.  Instead they choose to remain indoors and wait out the rain.  But I refuse to let the weather dictate my schedule, so rain or shine, I try to follow through with any activity that I have planned.  I also have a three year old son who has far too much energy to spend an entire day inside.  He wants to play outside regardless of the weather and doesn't mind getting a little wet.


Granted, it doesn't get nearly as cold here on the wet coast as it does in the rest of Canada.  Yet, even when it snows, I stick to my running routine.  And I'm never the only one on the trails; there are dozens of other people out there doing the same thing every time I'm out on the trails, regardless of the weather.

So in order to stay warm and somewhat dry, we try to dress accordingly.  Here is what I wear, depending on the weather:

• Cold - I wear a top and bottom base layer under my shorts and shirt.  I like the MEC T1 long johns and long-sleeved shirt.  If it's closer to or even below 0C, I'll also through on my Saucony Kinvara Nomad jacket.
• Wet - I wear a waterproof jacket and warm socks.  I've got my Saucony Kinvara Nomad jacket and I usually also wear a hat to keep the rain away from my eyes.
• Windy - My Saucony Kinvara Nomad jacket has a wind resistant front and keeps my warm.
• Riding my bike in cold or wet - I like to wear my waterproof cycling pants (I have MEC Secteur Pants).
• Sunny - I like to feel the sun on my head so I prefer sunglasses to a hat.

And my runners, Saucony Powergrid Triumph 10 shoes, while they get wet fast (they are not waterproof), they dry overnight and are always ready by the next morning.

I am not trying to say I am more committed or more hard-core than anyone else out there.  I am simply trying to say that with the right equipment, the rain or the cold isn't so bad.  Every time I run, I feel better.  I run to be free, to breathe the fresh air, and to clear my head.  And sometimes, running in rain is even therapeutic.

Dogs Off-Leash on Trails

I struggled a little bit to write this post because reading it could really go many different ways.  Let me start by saying that I like dogs.  I had one growing up but that didn't go over well (my dad and the dog just didn't see eye-to-eye).  When I first moved out of my parents house, I got a dog (a black lab mix).  I loved that dog and had him for quite a few years.  However, my circumstances changed and I had to give him up.  While that was a really difficult decision for me, I acknowledge that it was probably harder on the dog and so I accept that I shouldn't have gotten him in the first place.  As such, I am a big proponent of responsible pet ownership.

For the time being, my wife and I have decided not to get a dog.  We like the flexibility of not having one and admit that we are simply too busy to properly care for one.  But I also accept that when my son is older, he may ask for one and so that is a decision that we have put on the shelf for a later date.

So I tell that story to give what I'm going to say next some credibility: if you don't have complete control of your dog, it should not go off-leash in a public area.

I run a lot on trails and natural areas.  These trails happen to also be very popular areas for dog owners and their dogs.  And understandably so - they are beautiful, natural areas with plenty of room to run, walk, and play.  Despite the fact that most of these trails are not off-leash areas, the majority of dogs I see on the trails are off-leash.  In theory, I have no problem with this.  I like to see dogs running around, playing, and enjoying the public space as much as I am.  And the large majority of dogs are perfectly capable of doing so without any problems.

However, there are a small percentage of dogs that simply should not be off-leash in a public area.  Most owners of those dogs know that and leash their dogs accordingly.  But there are a very tiny few that do not.  Over the years, I have been bit, nipped, gnarled at, growled at, and snapped at.

As such, I usually slow down around dogs, keep a steady line and pace, and try not to startle dogs.  Most dogs barely pay me any attention.  But a very small few inevitably run, chase, and snarl.  The owners almost always chase their dogs and apologize profusely for their brief lack of control.  I accept that I wear bright clothing which may startle or attract a dog's attention, but I am not unique in that regard.

Some dogs wander aimlessly all over the path and I have almost tripped over numerous dogs but this doesn't bother me.  What bothers me is the aggressive dogs that are still off-leash.

So my argument is simple: if you do not have complete control over your dog's behaviour, your dog should not be off-leash in a public area.  So far, in the times I have been bitten or nipped, I haven't needed stitches (luckily all minor).  But I hate to think of the day that I, or someone else, does.

Am I out of line in my thinking?  I don't think that I am.

My Training Plan: Week 11

My goal in my running for the next few weeks is to increase the length of my running intervals while keeping the overall session time around the same as the previous week (week 10).  In other words, I want to schedule one run around 50 minutes and the other two between 40 and 45 minutes.

One interesting thing that I've found recently is that as my run intervals get longer, I find it more of a test of willpower than a test of strength.  Yesterday I completed Session 1 - 20 minute run, one minute walk, repeated twice.  That's not an incredibly challenging run, but the longest interval that I've done so far in 2014.  About half way through each of the two 20 minute intervals, I found myself checking the clock almost ever minute or two.  While I know my legs and my cardio are strong enough to handle it, I found myself thinking about taking a break far too often.  So this run, more than any other run I've had so far in 2014, was all about willpower.

The next two sessions for this week are modest in comparison, yet they are still bigger (in terms of distance) than all of my previous runs in 2014.  In order to accomplish this, I need to focus on maintaining a reasonable pace and not pushing myself to go faster all the time.

My Training Plan: Divergence from the Official Plan

While I have been enjoying the SportMedBC (and Vancouver Sun) Learn to Run 10K program, at this point in my training, I am making a choice to diverge from the Learn to Run 10K program.  I am doing this for one simple reason: time.

The Learn to Run 10K program is excellent and I enjoy it.  It has taught me how to build natural progression into my training rather than simply running farther and longer every day.  It has taught me that every week I should have a big run, a rest run, and a moderate run.  It has taught that intervals are good and established runners use them too.  All of these things are important lessons to any runner, whether you're training for a marathon, half marathon, or even a 5k.

However, I am busy and I am not training for anything in particular.  My goal, ultimately, is to teach myself to run and to increase my overall physical health.  So with my current schedule that I run during my lunch, I need to limit my runs to 45 minutes.  On the weekends, I can treat myself to a longer run but, in general, my runs will be 45 minutes.  So when I was looking at the Learn to Run 10K program for week 9, I realized that the time is just getting too long for what I am able to commit to on a regular basis.

So from this point forward, I am going to develop my own training plan using the same methodology as the Learn to Run 10K program, but with a soft 45 minute time limit in mind.  For this week (which is my week 10 because I repeated week 3), I am going to use the following training sessions:

On Monday (yesterday) I completed Session 1 and it was a great run in the rain.  I finished at 9.02km with an average pace of 5:36/km, which I am quite happy with.  Wednesday (tomorrow) it's on to Session 2.  And based on my results up to this point, I am confident that I can still be training for a 10km anyway.  I believe that if I increase my pace slightly and eventually work out the walking intervals, I can achieve 10km within this time.

My Training Plan: Week 6

My running training for this week is Week 6 from the Learn to Run 10K program.  The first session, which I did on Wednesday this week, was a real push over all of the previous sessions.  By far, this was the most difficult, the most exhausting, and required the most determination.  The run consisted of 5 minutes running followed by 1 minute walking and repeated 7 times.  Including the 5 minute warm-up and cool-down, the run was just over 8km in 50 minutes.

* from SportMedBC's Learn to Run 10K program.

For the first time in a long time, this run completely exhausted me.  I even had to stop and heave somewhere during my 6th interval.  It felt great to sweat hard and really have to push through and challenge myself.  The next couple of sessions for this week are a bit lighter, going back to 3 minute runs and 1 minute walks.  Some needed recovery.  I really enjoy that this program provides ups and downs: some runs are more challenging than others while others are intended as time to recover.

Overall, more and more, I find myself constantly looking forward to my next run.  I have to use restraint not to run every day (I know my body still needs time to recover).  I have prioritized my runs higher and higher on my list of things to do.  However, as my runs are getting longer, I find the biggest challenge is finding time for runs any longer than 50 minutes.  I have to limit my workday lunchtime runs to 50 minutes and move runs longer than that into my evening routine.  There, the challenge is finding time for my runs without compromising time with my family.

Gear: Saucony Kinvara Nomad Jacket

For the last few years, I have struggled to find ways to keep warm during my bike rides throughout the winter months.  I have historically resorted to using a loose-fitting pullover wind-breaker thrown on top of a couple extra layers for warmth.  When I was biking, this was only partially an issue.  The wind resistance was never an issue because I was only clocking against myself.  What bothered me was more the noise of my jacket flapping in the wind.  This year however, as a runner, the bouncing movement of my loose-fitting jacket was just too much.  I have mostly survived by simply wearing a good base layer (top and bottom) underneath my usual shorts and dry-fit t-shirt.  But there were definitely days where I wanted an extra layer for warmth or an outer layer to keep me dry.

And let's be honest here, I live on the west coast of Canada just outside of Vancouver where it rarely dips below 0C - so I need more protection from the elements (i.e. wind and rain) than the temperature.

So I decided it was time to invest in a light running jacket.  On our way home from a trip to Seattle this past long weekend, I was determined to find one at the Seattle Premium Outlets.  I browsed through many athletic brands' stores (Under Armour, Reebok, Adidas, Puma, Nike) without success.  In all fairness, none of those brands are actually running brands even though they each do have some running apparel.  But then, I found the Saucony store.

Because my shoes are Saucony and I am often brand loyal, I was immediately optimistic.  The store did not have many to choose from, but they did have one men's running jacket: the Saucony Kinvara Nomad Jacket.  The version of the jacket I bought has been discontinued; however, I believe the only differences between this one and the new one is aesthetic (i.e. colour patterns).

The jacket has a windproof and water-resistant softshell front to block wind and rain and a mesh panel on the back for breath-ability.  It is more than just a shell and does provide some added warmth too.  It fits me perfectly in a Medium (although I usually wear a Large) and still has room for an added layer underneath if necessary.  There are some good, bright reflective strips as you can see in the pictures from the camera flash.  It will be ideal for both running and evening bike rides, keeping me warm and making me a bit more visible to passing motorists.

To test it out, I wore it out on an 8km run today during my lunch break and it was awesome.  I enjoyed the added warmth and the shelter from the wind was great.  Towards the end of my run, the sun came out and I was close to getting too warm - the point where if it is sunny and over 6C I will probably go without the jacket.  But for any temperature under 6C, especially in wind and rain, this jacket will be perfect.

Overall, I am very happy with this purchase.  Most of the running jackets I have seen are listed for over $100 and even up to $200.  This one had a sticker price of $115 with 50% off so I paid just under $60 for it.  Great value for my dollar.

Nutrition: Protein Powder

Among the healthy and fitness minded people I know, there is a bit of a debate going as to whether protein powder is necessary.  Some, mainly those that eat very healthy balanced meals anyway, believe that if you eat properly in the first place, protein powder is simply redundant.  The other faction believes firmly in a post-workout shake, even if you eat nothing but plain chicken, fish or beef, raw veggies, fruit, glass of milk, and lots of water.

While I don't always live by this, I am of the belief that nothing replaces healthy eating.  Sure, we splurge on junk now and then, especially with a young kid in the house and when time is of the essence.  But nothing can replace a healthy diet.  This article in Runner's World provides a bit more information on the value of protein in your active diet.  One key item in this article, cited from the USDA's Recommended Dietary Allowance, is that an average weight 165 lb runner should have 75 to 120 grams of protein daily.  I'm about 9% heavier than that, so using that same calculation, I should be aiming for 81 to 130 grams of protein daily.

So, all that being said, after a run or a bike ride, I like to have a protein shake along with my meal.  Part of the reason for my belief system comes from a few years ago  when I got heavily into bike riding.  I would average over 400 km per month and over three hours per week (usually three separate one hour rides).  I wasn't very calorie conscious back then so once I got to my peak performance, I started dropping weight like crazy.  With some helpful prodding from my wife, who is far more nutritionally aware than me, I researched diet and proper calorie intake, had my wife teach me about balancing calories and all that, and massively increased my food intake on days I went for my rides.

The end of it was that I had to completely re-think the way I eat before and after my bike rides and runs and I knew that I had to increase my protein intake specifically.  But my one issue here is that I am lactose intolerant so getting additional protein from milk and yogurt wasn't possible.  I already incorporate milk and yogurt into my diet to the extent that my body can handle it and we already eat as much chicken, fish, and red meat as we are comfortable eating.

So I started researching protein powders.  My wife helped and had a preference for powders that didn't load up on carbs, had low sugar and sodium, and, ideally, were natural.  A number of my friends recommending using the website and online store SVN Canada, so that's where we conducted our research.

The one product we found that fit our criteria and that both my wife and I could agree on was North Coast Naturals 100% Iso Protein.  The price was reasonable and it fit in with our nutritional goals.  We have gone through several tubs of it to date, and we continue to order it again and again.  I alternate between the vanilla and chocolate, both of which are awesome.  It's smooth, easy to mix, and tastes great (and I typically really don't like protein powders).  My wife also uses it in some of her breakfast smoothies.

Overall, I highly recommend it.  I definitely give this one two big thumbs up.

And a second nod here also to SVN Canada.  Great resource for reviews and products.  Fast delivery (usually within 24 hours, always within 48 - but, granted, they ship from within the Lower Mainland so it is also a short distance for those in and around Vancouver).  Great, fair pricing.  And for the two times I have had to contact customer support, they also have great customer service!