MD Calf Sleeves - Tried It Tuesday

Recovery, recovery, recovery.  I have learned this lesson a thousand times over by now: after putting your body through athletic strain, it's ever so important to take good care of it properly to ensure you can KEEP pushing!  There are various aspects of recovery, including proper nutrition to replace what you've used up and to enhance muscle healing, active stretching and yoga, and light cross training.  My favorite recovery strategies, though, are the ones that don't require a lot of attention - which is why I LOVE my compression sleeves after long runs and races!

Disclaimer: I received these sleeves at no cost in exchange for my review.

All opinions expressed here in are, as always, my own.

Compression sleeves are designed to increase blood circulation thanks to "pressure points" along the length of the sleeve.  Each compression point helps squeeeeeeeeze along the direction of bloodflow to ensure your muscles are getting enough blood to keep them healthy.  Your blood also carries the building blocks for muscle tissue, so increased circulation can help your muscles repair themselves quicker.  Additionally, the compression helps push blood back up to the heart, carrying away the lactic acid and other waste products that are created by exercise.  Between these various benefits, the main takeaway is that your muscles will feel better faster, allowing you to get right back into training with minimal down time (and minimal hobbling after a big run)!

Though I've tried compression products before, these new MD calf sleeves might be my new favorites.  Other calf sleeves have been a little too long for my short little legs, so I end up with bunching around the ankle or knee (and with compression gear, bunching can be quite painful).  Compression socks have had too much pressure on my arch and made my feet go numb.  My MD sleeves, though, are just the right length and size for my calves!  Wearing them around after a race (like Saturday's Fall Classic half marathon) or even after a tough leg day at the gym is so easy: I just slip them over my calves and go about my life, then the next day I'm right as rain and ready to do it all again!  Seriously, you can't ask for an easier recovery booster.

Some people choose to run in their compression sleeves, too.  I have not found wearing my sleeves while I'm active to work for me, personally, but if you're suffering from poor circulation during races, maybe compression sleeves can help you.  To me, they're just too tight while I'm flexing mid-stride.  Maybe it's mostly psychological, but it doesn't work for me so I don't do it - that doesn't mean others don't benefit!  If you wear your sleeves while you run, post a comment about how the sleeves have helped you on the road!

If you haven't tried compression yet, or are looking for the perfect gift for the runner in your life, try out MD calf sleeves with 20% off on Black Friday!  These sleeves come in fun colors and are very true to the sizing chart posted, plus they're Prime eligible on Amazon.  Sleeves make great stocking stuffers!

Fall Classic Half Marathon 2017 Race Recap

Okay, I'm going to skip a few of the recaps I'm way behind with and just try to get the most recent one up right away!  Yesterday I completed my 22nd half marathon less than 15 minutes from home at the Strongsville Fall Classic, hosted by the Cleveland West Road Runners Club.  I've heard good things about this race in the past and with my company timing it, there were no excuses to miss it this year.

It's a November half in Cleveland, so I'm sure it comes as no surprise when I start by saying it was COLD.  Saturday had seen incessant rainfall, so everything was damp and half of the local trail system through Bonnie Park was under considerable water.  Overnight, the temperatures plummeted and we arrived at the park in the middle of a snow flurry.  The freezing rain made the pavement slick right away, but we managed to get most of our timing gear set up during the lulls in precipitation.  We sent the half marathon walkers off about 45 minutes before race time, and I did my best to stay warm in the meanwhile.

Finally it was time for the half marathon to start, and I left the starting line to find an appropriate pace group before the gun went off.  Of course I ran into Cyndi, my favorite running buddy (who has logged over 2000 miles so far this year, wow!) and stuck with her for the first mile or so.  Obviously with her annual mileage, she's been training MUCH more than I have, so I knew I wouldn't be staying near her too long, but at least I got a solid start under my belt.  My first mile was a little rough in that the whole pack of about 800 runners was pretty stuck-together, and I had several people lurch or slip into my path causing me to make some dodging moves that twisted my knee a bit, but eventually we thinned out enough for me to run more safely.  The entire course is on a two-lane road, so there was ample space for the majority of the race.

I thought I was going to find a groove during the middle of the race, but it never quite happened.  Running on the road through this particular park meant a lot of winding - and the road was always pitched one way or another around each curve.  While the actual route was relatively flat, most of the road was diagonal to one side or the other, which put extra strain on whichever leg was lower and led to a LOT of muscle imbalance.  By the second loop of the course, I was hurting pretty badly.  The freezing weather didn't help, and the temperatures just kept dropping.  By mile 10, I was running into the wind with hail and hard snow pelting me in the face, while my hips screamed in diagonal-tilt-agony.

Despite the pain and the cold, though, I kept pushing for run-walk intervals, even if they were very short.  It would have been easy to convince myself to just walk for a while, but I tried not to let my brain take too long of a break.  A quick rotation of each leg in the socket helped alleviate some of the hip pain for short bursts, allowing me to pick up the pace for another couple tenths of a mile at a time.  Soon I was rounding the final curve back towards the starting area and could see the finish banners waving in the wind!  I pushed whatever energy I had left into my feet and crossed the finish line in about 2 hours and 45 minutes.  Honestly, with no training and the adverse conditions, I'm VERY happy with that time.  I've done worse in better conditions with better training, so I can't really complain!

I hobbled over to the pavilion to grab some of the Applebee's chili (they had more than enough to save plenty for us back-of-packers) and a few bagels before pitching in a bit to clean up the finish line apparatus.  Fortunately we had enough on our timing team that I really didn't have to work too hard after I ran!  We waited for the tail end of the race, picked up our stuff, and headed home.  I can't tell you how nice it was to have such a short drive home and to have my feet UP within 20 minutes of leaving the race!  I've had so many long-drive races lately, but it was so good to stay close to home.  I spent the rest of the day in my calf sleeves trying to heal up some of the damage from the skewed roadway.  Today I'm a little stiff but have most of my range of motion; by tomorrow I should be back at 100% already.  Guess that means I don't have any excuse to delay getting back into a real training habit!

Fall Classic Half Marathon Breakdown

Organization: Cleveland West has been putting on this race for 40 years, and the event shows their experience.  Early packet pickup at Second Sole was sponsored by a local brewery, so you got a free beer when you stopped in to grab your bib; race day pickup was equally easy though less libatious.  Plenty of volunteers were available for the course and aid stations, the route was well marked, and pre-race communication was very clear.  Timing was done by my company (in fact, done partially by me) so I'm going to say we did a great job, but I promise I wouldn't be the only one saying so!

The Course: I've never run a double-loop course before, and I can't decide if I liked it.  The flatness was kind of sabotaged by the pitch of the road, as I mentioned before, but it was a very straightforward route that was easy to follow.  Starting into the second loop at first seemed great ("oh I totally know this, should be easy now that I'm familiar with it") but later got into my head a little bit ("I could have sworn I was a lot closer to the finish when I passed this bridge...").  Ample room on the wide roadway for the out-and-back crowd made for a better course than the all-purpose trail running alongside the actual road, but the APT doesn't have the same banking built into the turns.  I guess to have the breathing room, you have to take the pitch of the road, and I guess at the end of the day I'd rather have the running space.

The Swag: Runners paid between $45 and $65 for the Fall Classic, which is probably on the higher end of the "local running club half marathon" pricing scale from my experience.  However, runners get a lightweight windbreaker jacket instead of another race shirt, and though I don't find it to be super high quality, it's a lot nicer than some of the junky cheapo shirts I've gotten at other local-sized races!  If you signed up for this race on the $45 end, you got a decent deal, that's for sure.  The medals are cool, featuring the fox logo, and the post-race food included fresh, hot CHILI which was a godsend by the end of this race.  They also offered free beer at packet pickup, and the goody bags had actual goodies in them (like Chik-fil-a gift cards)!  There's definitely a lot of "local flair" in this race, and it's affordable enough to enjoy the quaintness of the club and the focus on running for running's sake.

Bottom Line: It's a good, local half marathon.  There's no post-race party or flashy finish line stuff, but you get a well-supported course and good swag for a very reasonable entry fee.  I definitely can't complain about the experience (beyond the weather, which just can't be helped) and would definitely recommend this race to someone looking for a good half in November.  Nothing fancy, but a safe and solid course with lots of great competitors, which at the end of the day is what this is all about, right?

What are the goings-on in YOUR running world?  Anyone tried any new races lately?

AARD: How strict are cut-off times for races/courses?

Today's question was originally asked by Joan Oliver Emmer (Women Who Run the World), but I chose this one for today because I recently had the same discussion with another runner friend who was curious: "How strict are cutoff times for races?  Why can't I get my medal if I am only a few minutes behind?"

Here's the main deal with cutoff times - they're not usually the race's choice.  Course limits are most often dictated by the venue where the race is being held, which for longer races that have cutoffs usually means a city.  There are lots of permitting points that I'll probably eventually discuss, but the most relevant today is the street closure aspect, and therein lies the basis for the cutoff time on a half or full marathon.  My best example is the Marine Corps Marathon: the famous "Beat the Bridge" cutoff is set at mile 20, which participants MUST reach by 1:15pm.  This is a hard-and-fast limit that is enforced by a line of buses pulling in front of the course.  All participants who miss the cutoffs are put on the buses and taken to the finish line, where they do not get a medal or a time because they didn't finish the race.  The MCM website is very clear about several cutoff points and the pace needed to "stay alive" on the course.

But why 1:15pm?  Why a 14-minute pace?  The 1:15pm time is the latest Washington DC will allow the roads to be closed around the capital.  Obviously, DC is a kinda important city for our country, and even on a Sunday, people need access to the buildings along the National Mall and other points of the course.  The 14-minute-per-mile pace is not some arbitrary "we think you need to be a better runner than this" decision, but rather a calculation of what it will take to make it to the Bridge by 1:15pm.  This cutoff isn't meant to discriminate against slower runners specifically, it's just a city requirement to have the streets cleared at a reasonable time.

Of all the first-marathon advice I received, "don't get on

a bus" was the piece that stuck with me the most!

Boarding buses at the cutoff, however, is NOT the universal solution for races with a time limit.  For other events, that cutoff time is a little more "soft", and most participants will still be able to complete the race and earn their medal.  If the venue/city allows it, a soft cutoff will see slower participants moved to sidewalks or all-purpose trails so the streets can reopen, allowing the participant to continue with their race at their own pace.  The important difference between these two types of cutoffs (hard and soft) is communication prior to the event.  MCM makes it very clear what will happen to anyone not meeting cutoffs, including when and where those sweeps will take place.  Other races plan for sweeps, but don't tell their runners what to expect - at these events, runners are surprised to learn they may not be able to complete their goal.  It is very important as a race director to make sure we're communicating our cutoffs and what to expect at those times, especially if a soft cutoff means fewer aid stations.

In very, very rare occurrences, a race will impose a cutoff time simply to allow the race workers and volunteers to go home.  I've really only seen this done for ultra marathons, if a company doesn't have a big enough crew to keep shifting employees throughout an event that might take some people 24 hours or more.  Some races will keep the course open but may not be able to keep volunteers on the course for the full time and cannot guarantee course support after a certain point; again, communication is key for these instances.

Finding a pacer can help you manage your race splits better

while also giving you an experienced runner's advice along the way!

I keep putting the onus on the race directors to ensure their participants are aware of a cutoff time and what it may mean for their experience - but it's equally important for race participants to do their due diligence in researching an endurance event.  While prepping for my MCM experience, I wrote a post about finding the right marathon for your pace, especially if you're looking to enter a limited field event.  It's just as important for runners to do their research before signing up for an event, and perhaps even more important for potential participants to be honest with themselves about making the cutoffs.  Be prepared for what you might experience at your race, and we'll do our best to craft races that can accommodate as many people as possible!  This whole crazy running business is a team effort, after all!

Have you ever been stymied by a course cutoff?  Have you ever been surprised on race day to find out you're in danger of an unadvertised sweep?  What other questions do you want to Ask a Race Director?