It’s the last Friday of August, which means it’s time to bare our souls soles and take a deep, cleansing breath with Marcia as we share our Runfessions. Since there are still a few days left in the month, you’ll have to come back next weekend for the Ultimate Coffee Date link up that Deborah and I host on the first Saturday of every month.
It’s also time for the Friday Five link up hosted at Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness.
Runfessions
I runfess that cycling is on my mind way more than running these days, but that’s old news around here. This weekend my husband and I will be doing the Reston Metric Century, which is 68.8 miles instead of the ~62 I was expecting, and has an unexpected 3400 feet of elevation gain!
I runfess that my calves feel dangerously tight, as in on-the-verge-of-injury tight. I have been stretching and foam rolling, but the tightness persists. I probably need to endure a sports massage to undue all the knots.
I runfess that I am used to having the locker room at my office gym to myself, and resent the woman who has been using it at the same time this summer. I’m pretty sure the way she leaves her stuff in one area, her shoes strewn across another, and uses yet another to get ready is more obnoxious than most, but maybe I’m just bristling at her use of “my” space. I ‘m also afraid the wet spots on the bench are from her sitting on it post-shower sans towel, so I no longer put my stuff there.
all her stuff
she was occupying the other vanity area
when I snuck this picture
I runfess that although I just reviewed the Q-Band Fitness Tracker, I am contemplating getting a Garmin Vivoactive HR. I want one device that does it all, and the Q-Band doesn’t have built-in GPS–although it does have everything else I can think of. When I had a Garmin with wrist-based heart rate monitoring, I didn’t even use that data much, but now that I rely on my heart rate data during OTF, I’d like to put heart rate strategies to use during some of my runs. Or maybe I’m just addicted to fitness gadgets.
I runfess that now I’m thinking about putting the Fenix 5S on my birthday wishlist …..
I runfess that when the humidity was 98% on Tuesday morning, I ditched my plans to do a long run early in the week. I also runfess that I couldn’t resist the dramatically cooler weather and lower humidity on Thursday, so I squeezed in a long run before work instead of taking it easy before the Metric Century.
View of the Washington Monument from the WWII Memorial
Do you use heart rate data in your workouts?
Do you have any last-chance vacation plans?
![The Ultimate Coffee Date](http://got2run4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ultimate-Coffee-Date.png" "The Ultimate Coffee Date")
Even worse than the space hogs in the locker rooms are the women who walk around naked. Dry their hair naked. In the mirror. I don’t want to see that! I’m no prude but come on!
she’s not very modest either – she uses a towel, but it’s not always covering everything. :-O
Good luck this weekend at our race. Hopefully the weather will be nice for you. I have a watch that monitors my HR but I do not do anything differently by knowing the stats.
Hah! That’s exactly where I am – I like to see the data but I don’t don anything about it.
GET THE FENIX!! I can’t say enough good about mine. It tracks everything and yes, I’m always looking at that HR. Ugh on the locker room slob. You know I feel the same way about that. Have a great ride this weekend!
Thanks! I’ll blame you when I succumb to the Fenix ….
I love the fenix and I am not into data as much as you are. You will love it! Hope I see you at some point on Sunday. I also may hit up a yoga class tonight at some point
Oh, I haven’t noticed it in your photos – I will have to look more closely. I’ll message you when we start on Sunday.
Is it just me or have the humidity been overly aggressive this summer?! I don’t blame you for not wanting to do a long run in that weather!
wow, that woman in the locker room would drive me nuts! I think it’s so rude when people are super messy and leave their items everywhere. I can only imagine what her home must look like..
I’ve been having some issue with my right calf during long runs this summer. I’ve been using the foam roller on it a lot, but what has also helped is wearing compression socks/sleeves during the week. Not every day but may 2-3 days/week.
Oh, trying calve sleeves is a good idea – I haven’t tried that yet. Sometimes the foam roller just can’t get into my calf muscles.
I am one of the sole survivors who has yet to embrace HRM….I have never tried it, and am not into stats (big shocker, I know!), I do see the benefits of it, though. The gym gal would drive me crazy…I’m not much for sharing my personal space, especially in that kind of setting. And the wet spot on the bench? EEEWWWWWW!
I really love seeing the data. I don’t love when the battery’s dead, or the GPS won’t find a signal, or the HRM won’t find my HR, but still, I love seeing the data. 😉
I’d totally move her stuff out of the way, that’s annoying!
Good luck with your race!
I’m so non-confrontational — especially before I’ve had my coffee. I just try to minimize our overlap ….
I have an original vivoactive and it’s still working great. The only thing it doesn’t have is the wrist heart rate, but it came with a chest strap. I sometimes use it to gather the data, but I don’t really use it so it’s a wash for me. Fenix has LONG been on my wish list, but I don’t think it’s going for wish to have any time soon either.
I’m such a fitness tracker addict – I always want the next thing!
I can’t blame you for thinking more of cycling…if I wasn’t training for a marathon I’d be thinking of cycling more too. Running is getting a little old to me 🙁
The Garmins are the best…at this point I would never wear anything else for running/triathlon. If you’re looking for a good deal though I’d go with the 935. It’s basically a Fenix in a lighter, less pricey package. The Fenix is really nice, but the 935 is about $100 less (depending on the model sometimes even $200 less) and does all the same things that the Fenix does.
I’ll have to check that one out too – thanks for the scoop!
Good luck on your ride. I hope your calves behave. Other than that, I can’t get past the wet spot on the locker room bench. Gross.
Yeah, it’s hard to get over that. Maybe her hair just dripped there?
I try really hard to stick to my space and not take up a lot of room. It makes me beyond angry when others don’t do so as well. I’d probably kick her shoes over so I could have some space without tripping over her stuff.
Oh my gosh I want the Fenix so bad!!! But Sants told me I have a $100 Christmas limit.
Yeah, it’s pricey for sure ….
Locker room hogs make me crazy – and the wet spot on the bench…just ewww!
Enjoy your ride this weekend!
Thanks. I’m excited and nervous!
Oh, that would drive me nuts with the person’s stuff all over the locker room! It’s a shared space and you would think people would understand that.
I think she’s used to having it to herself too, but even when I’m there alone I try to stick to one corner!
My Apple watch does take HR but I never look. Am I the only one who doesn’t care??
GL on your race.
Last ditch…OMG where did the summer go?
I hope we have a nice fall.
I only care about my HR data when I don’t have it. 😉
It’s only been a couple of months since our last vacation, but still, I runfess that at the moment everything seems to be annoying me. EVERYTHING. I’m usually pretty patient but not right now.
I love my Vivoactive, but it’s the first version — the one with HR. I need to research the HR one . . . just in case, you know.
Isn’t it funny how we come to “claim” territory?
Hah! I’ve been annoyed recently too. Maybe it’s the end-of-summer blues. I have the Vivoactive without HR and it is FINE. Maybe I want a new watch since I can’t have another vacation? 😉
I love my HR info. Enough said. Good luck this weekend. I can’t wait to hear all about the metric century ride. I’m worry about our full century with about the same elevation as your metric (yikes). Those pesky graphs can be misleading though.
Yeah, the graphs don’t really tell the whole story! I hope this weekend’s story is a nice one!
I got the Garmin 235 with the wrist HR monitor and I use it on occasion but I’ve found when I’m really, really sweaty it doesn’t work at all, and that’s usually when I want to use it!
Ah, good point. I definitely get plenty sweaty running!
Ew, that lady is annoying! How rude!!!
My calves are also very tight. I’m thinking peronal tendonitis in my right leg. Ugh…
That doesn’t sound good at all! Hope you nip it in the bud and stay healthy.
I need to get on board with these runfession style posts ASAP!! They are SO fun and I really enjoy reading them.
Bummer about the locker room… I know that would drive me crazy. You’d think she would at least stay in one area.
I don’t use HR data really and I probably should. My Epson Runsense watch does show my HR on runs, so I do glance at it once in awhile, but I know having a strap is better.
No vacation for me, at least not until I go up to NY for the marathon later this year.
Its always hard when it feels like somebody is invading “your space,” even if it isn’t officially your own. Hopefully she’ll get the hint soon.
I have the Garmin Fenix 5s in my 40thbirthday list, so I hope to have one in January!!!!!
I have the Garmin Forerunner 235 and it has heart rate monitor that I am using more, along with all the other data points. I have had it now for almost a year and LOVE it.
I love that you claim the locker room as your space. I am the same way when I get used to having something all to myself. I’m sure if she was more considerate you wouldn’t mind sharing your space. 🙂
Good luck on your upcoming ride. 50 miles is the most I’ve done.