Two weekends ago my friend Liza and I attended the TARC Trail Running Camp held at the Hale Reservation in Westwood, MA.  

TARC (Trail Animals Running Club) is a local trail running group with active members mostly in New England but in other states as well.  I have been interested in running with them for quite some time but haven't up until now. 

I was in the market for a GPS watch this summer...something easy to use that would allow me to track my mileage and speed.  Nothing fancy. 

Naturally Garmin came to mind when I first started my search.  Garmin has such a solid reputation for GPS tracking and there are a TON of different styles and versions available depending on your needs.  After lots of internet searching/review reading and consulting runner friends, I bought the Garmin Forerunner15.

Read on for a short review.  

I have wanted to get a pair of zero drop shoes for almost as long as I've known about minimalist running.  When my doctor recommended that I use a shoe with more cushioning to help with my injury, I immediately thought my zero drop dreams were over. 

Then, I stumbled upon Altra Zero Drop Footwear and the Altra Torin.

Here's a short review...

Afternoon Run
3 miles - Easy Run
Treadmill

I gave in yesterday and bought my first tube of BenGay. 

It being cold here now has turned icing into a special form of torture.  My mom had mentioned BenGay the last time I was home.  She noted the possibility of me needing it after the marathon but I only half considered it.  After going half the week with an aching right calf from pushing too hard during Sunday's run and wincing at the touch of my ice packs, her suggestion made a little more sense.  I decided to give BenGay a try.

Not just any BenGay, mind you, but BenGay Ultra Strength, the self-proclaimed Strongest BenGay EVER.

I twisted off the cap and was immediately transported back to my childhood growing up around my grandmother's house.  Granny loves BenGay.  She would be proud that it is my ointment of choice. 

Couldn't get the lame picture to rotate...

 

I could have gone with Icy Hot.  With all it's clever marketing, I must admit it was tempting but before giving in I decided to do some digging.  My five minutes of research on the internet lead me to believe that BenGay Ultrastrength has a more immediate and definite effect on achy muscles than Icy Hot any day. 

I was just relieved to see that there weren't any elderly folk pictured on the box.  Even with all the research favoring BG, that would have given me pause.  Look at that guy.  He's strong and confident and he uses BenGay too!  I used some on my calf and knees last night and woke up feeling like a champion (aside for that weird medicated smell of course).

BenGay, not just for old people, for real athletes everywhere!

Meet David Bowie, my new Bowflex Active Trainer 9.0 Heart Rate Monitor!  It's sleek, dark, and can be little bit scary when at work. I call it DB for short.

DB was a gift from a family friend back home...he had two!  Thanks, Paul! What an amazingly fun blessing. You rock. It has been pretty eyeopening using this thing. My heart rate is like crazy high almost all the time. 174 easy at a ten minute pace. I praise the Lord it is down from what it used to be but golly!

Chest belt and watch

Name:  David Bowie the Heart Rate Monitor
Color:  Black
Purpose: To help Cha train and make her aware of her effort level on runs (and, maybe even scare her into running slower).

Since using DB:  I've been noticing tons of people running around with these over-sized watches on their wrists.  It's funny what details you miss until you're on the inside.