running

#MiamiFamous – Recap of the Miami Half-Marathon

January 29, 2016 By Nory Pouncil Leave a Comment

Today I am sharing my experience running the Miami Half-Marathon. This past Sunday I completed my third half-marathon (second in Miami). First and foremost I had a great time while there. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to do a destination race.

There is nothing like getting away in the middle of winter to bask in seventy-degree weather. Also, I was there for a bachelor party weekend for one of my friends who was also doing his first half marathon.

Running the Miami Half-Marathon

Getting There

Since the east coast was buried in snow, I almost didn’t make it.

My connecting flight was in Charlotte, so my flight got canceled on Thursday night. I was able to rebook through Phoenix early Friday morning. When I arrived i Ft. Lauderdale, I was accosted by the rain, and I thought that the whole weekend was going to be a wash.

The rain quickly dissipated and was mostly dry the, rest of the weekend. That night I was able to eat good Brazilian food and hang with friends at a club.

Saturday

Saturday morning my friend and I got up to pick up our race packets. The convention center was filled with dozens of vendors selling everything from shoes to bikes to performance products.

It was a maze to get through, but I enjoyed the overall experience of being surrounded by so many runners. Saturday we all hung out around South Beach. I got my feet pressure measured, and my gait analyzed at the Fit2Run store. I found out that I’m running in shoes a full size too small.

Sunday

Sunday morning we left South Beach to get to American Airlines Arena, but so many detours caused us to get to the race after it started. I was supposed to start with carousel E, but I didn’t leave until carrousel I. This caused us to wait around in the cold (38 degrees) with shorts on. I was so cold when the race started, not what I imagined while running in Miami.

When the race started, I had to zig zag through so many walkers and picture takers that it severely slowed me down. That combined with the fact that I didn’t get warmed up until around mile 5 I didn’t come close to my PR. I did do better than I did last year which is a good thing.

I’m glad I got to run #MiamiFamous again, and I’ve signed up for the full marathon next year. I’m so excited to get it done next year. Until then I’ll be running the Shamrock Run half marathon in six weeks and more half marathons this summer. I’m looking forward to collecting more medals this year.

Do not forget to check out the IAHF Running Club to run with me in Portland!

Running Updates: #iAmHealthyFitRuns and Half Marathon

January 15, 2016 By Nory Pouncil Leave a Comment

Today marks nine days until my first half marathon of the year. I’ve been using the coaching feature app on the Nike running to train for this run. My goal is to finish the race in ninety minutes.

I thought it would have been possible since my last half-marathon I finished in one hour and forty-four minutes. I’m pretty excited about soaking up the sun in Miami and becoming Miami Famous.

Currently, I’m winding up my ‘taper week.’

Running schedule:

Five miles on Monday,
Ten on Tuesday (hated that),
Five on Wednesday,
Rest day on Thursday,
Four miles Friday,
Ten miles Saturday,
Rest day on Sunday.

After that, I have one last week of training, and I get to run for real.

To help me train this last month of running, I enlisted the help of the iamhealthyfit running community. I set up a running challenge on Nike Plus to run one hundred miles, and I was ecstatic at the turnout and enthusiasm that the participants showed. The competitive juices have been flowing all month!!

The grand prize will be a pair of Nike (my favorite brand) sneakers, and all finishers of the one hundred miles will receive a fitness bundle.

Today I signed up for the Portland Shamrock Run on March 13th, and I’ll be signing up Foot Traffic Flat Half Marathon on July 4th. I still want to sign up for two races in the fall and some 5 and 10Ks scattered, but I’m happy with my 2016 run schedule.

Those are my running updates. Are you part of the iamhealthyfit challenge? How is running going for you?

Do not forget to check out the IAHF Running Club!

Nike Zoom Pegasus Review

January 8, 2016 By Nory Pouncil Leave a Comment

About a year ago I bought a pair of Nike Lunar Racer 3 running shoes, and at first, I wasn’t a fan, but I grew to like them so much I bought another pair in another color. These pairs of shoes were my primary running shoes in 2015.

I recommended them to anyone who asked me what shoes they should run in and with good reason. They are light and offer great support.

Only thing is I think they are more suited to track and short distance work. I mainly run long distances, but they still were comfortable; until the beginning of December.

I have a flat arch in my feet, and my left foot started to bother me during runs. This discomfort extended to when I first got out of bed in the morning and when I played basketball.

I took a week off from running while I traveled home for Christmas, but after my first run, the pain returned to my left arch.

Nike Zoom Pegasus 32 Running Shoes

So far I’ve had two runs in these beauties. On New Year’s Day I ran five miles in the blistering cold, and the next day I ran fourteen miles on the treadmill. I love the way these shoes felt on my feet.

I still had the ankle support of the Lunar Racers but had a more spring in them and provided way more arch support, which is important for longer distance runs.

The Flywire cables around the midfoot provide additional support throughout the foot. The mesh upper allowed my foot to breathe.

This is key because I don’t like my foot to get too hot but it still was able to keep my feet warm in the cold temperatures, so I believe this is a shoe you can wear in the cold and in the heat.

I would recommend the Nike Zoom Pegasus 32 for any level runner. They work for me on a comfort level, a performance level as well as an aesthetic level.

They are currently available for men and women (click the links) as ID products (you can design them in any color combination you want).