Steeple Girl

Nike LunaRacer+ 2

2010-03-11T20:51:00.002+01:00

I've been up to my ears in work and training the past weeks. And that's the main reason for not putting in much time in the blog.

I've had a few sessions with my new Nike LunaRacer+2. I like the shoes, but I must admit I expected more. It might come with more runs, but I have my doubts...

Expectations can be unrealistic to meet. I admit I had higher expectations to the Nike Lunaracer+ 2 than what might have been realistic to believe could be the end product. I just liked the first edition so much because of the racing factor rather than the training factor I think the first edition had.

The Nike LunaRacer+ 2 is a responsive, cushioned racing and training shoe for distances from 5K to the marathon. Nike Flywire technology provides a supportive upper. I think the new upper is more solid than last years (which is good), but also thicker and less breathable.

(Photo: picked from SimplRun)
No-sew overlays offer added comfort. But I still think that the upper is too solid for being a top of the line racing shoe. But for training this works well.

Nike Lunarlite system allows for inherent stability. The stability system in the Nike Lunaracer+ 2 is the really great invention of this model. I find the Lunaracer+ 2 very stable, and can easily be used by runners with overpronation without orthodics.

The model is also providing great cushioning. This model can be a choice of high mileage trainers for many runners. I just think it will be worn out quite easily. The BRS 1000™ carbon rubber pods on the outer sole deliver traction in wet or dry conditions.

I hope you will give the Lunaracer+ 2 a try if you like the first edition or any of the other models from the Luna-family. I'm impressed ny the low weight and the amount of cushioning. It's worth a try.

Weight: womens 157 g/5.6 oz, mens 187 g/6.5 oz
Price: 1400 NOK/$99.99

You can read my old posts on Lunatrainer here and Lunaracer here.

Proud to be a part of Team Kondis

2010-03-03T19:17:00.000+01:00

I'm proud to tell you that you can read my blog at kondis.no.

The posts from steeplegirl.com will be linked to the Kondis site. So, I won't be blogging about anything else than I usually do. But I'm still proud of being a part of one of the most serious web sites on distance running and endurance sports in general. Kondis (means endurance) is the Norwegian Organization for Endurance Sports. The organization publish a magazine and you meet the Kondis crew on most road races and big running events!

Sarva Xero - my companion this winter!

2010-03-02T10:59:00.000+01:00

Little did I know about this winter, when I in December was longing for warm weather training in January. I read in the newspaper this morning that Oslo hasn't had temperatures above zero celsius (32F) since December 12... It's been quite miserable to be a distance runner in Oslo this winter.

I'm not a huge fan of treadmill running and need to run some sessions outside during a week. Because of the massive snowfall day after day, the roads have not been properly cleared. Some days have been impossible to run outside. Sore hammies and tight calves are the side effects of running and slipping...

One of my best friends this winter has actually been the Sarva Xero. Quite light shoe with permanent studs. They are light in weight and got a softer mesh than usual. The cushioning is moderate and something between a lightweight model and a well cushioned one. One to try if the snow prevents you from a jog.

I love books!

2010-02-25T22:07:00.000+01:00

I have this weird fascination when it comes to book stores. When I see one I have to go inside and have a look. Most of the times I buy one or two. My days are quite busy, so there's plenty of unread book in my shelves...

Lately I have read books about running or athletes. So, when I ran into Thor Gotaas on Monday, we had a brief chat about running in general, my training and his book projects.

He is a very fascinating guy with enormous knowledge about sports and history. I told him I got his latest book, but hadn't had time to read it. He told me he had it published in English and now with pictures. He was really excited and dropped by yesterday with an English copy for me. And he had signed it with a greeting! Very nice!

I like to read in English, so I'm excited to get around and read Running A Global History.

Do you feel sleepy?

2010-02-22T15:20:00.000+01:00

(Photo:Reuters)

- or do just cool down your brain without knowing?

I don't feel particularly sleepy 10-15 min before a race. At track meets I see many yawning athletes right before the gun goes off.

I yawn like an old and tired dog on my warm up. Sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it. It's just like I can't help it. And I AM NOT sleepy!

I read this article in Dagbladet today about the American short track speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, who has won seven Olympic medals in his career. He always yawns during warm-up. The article also says that he does it to inhale as much fresh O2 as possible. You can read the article in English here.

Searching for information on athletes and yawning, I found this:
- Yawning is a process that protects our brain from overheating and serves as an alert signal to others.
Andrew C. Gallup and Gordon G. Gallup, Jr., researchers from University at Albany studied yawning in college students to find out the reason of yawning. They disproved the theory that yawning results from the lack of oxygen. As experiments showed, the alterations in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood didn't affect the yawning reaction.

I think I yawn before a competition because I'm nervous and excited. It might be an uncontrolled action to cool down my brain or an action to make myself more alert. I don't know...:)
What I know, is that I have lots of photos of myself on warm-up with a yawning face!

Yesterday is past...

2010-02-21T09:58:00.000+01:00

Photo: Tore Amundøy)

Yesterday I ran my first indoor meet in six years and I didn't accomplish what I came for. I went out really controlled with 34 and 35 seconds. Then Lisbeth carried on for almost two laps, and I was up in the lead again at 800m in 2.22. Not lightning quick, but I was aiming for a controlled start and then working really hard from 1000m and in.

It was a weird feeling where I felt really light and fine. Very controlled. But when Ingeborg went up in the lead it was just like I couldn't be bothered to push and chase... I hate that feeling.

Since last night I've gone through my race and the impressions. I did one big mistake and that was that I lost track of the laps.. Gee, I'm getting old, huh?! The bell rang and the sign showed two laps to go. I got confused and didn't even try to sprint. Big mistake!

I guess I didn't concentrate very well after I had done part one in the race - to start out relaxed and run controlled. I need to start working on better focus and work tasks at the end of races too. The good thing though; I felt I could have run in the same pace for many more laps...

I will bring the annoying feelings with in to my training and remind me that I have to chase better next time.

Nationals coming up

2010-02-18T22:41:00.000+01:00

The Olympics are on almost 24/7 at my place. I get so excited to watch the athletes push themselves to their limits and some beyond that too!

That said, I'm actually competing in less than two days. I'm running the 1500m in the National Indoor Championship. I haven't raced indoors since February 2004. And I will just be racing this one. I have had a normal week training-wise and I feel fine. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I know I have trained well and I'm confident that the outdoor season will bring some good races. On saturday I will focus on running relaxed:)

Weather-wise I'm turning mad very soon. Lots of snow and impossible to run outside... (Good it's Indoor Nationals..hihi)

Tuesday is sprint day!

2010-02-16T22:28:00.000+01:00

Tuesday afternoon is very often sprint day for me. Today I did a warm-up, some plyometrics and drills, some build up sprints and 2x5x60 m. This is speed training, but most importantly a strength session.

I've improved some in each sprint session this winter, but last Tuesday and today were much better than at Lanzarote in January. My coach timed some of the 60 meters today and he said that I'm running 3/10 of a second

faster than same time last year. Very unofficial, but still very positive.

Walking back to my car, I realized I had left my wallet in the car and I didn't bring a banana or another snack with me. Shame on me. Recovery is very important and some sort of food and drink straight after training is very important to recover as well as possible. Suddenly I remembered that my boyfriend left a bottle of YT in the dashboard just in case. Sweet! I had a recovery drink for my drive home:)

Saturday I'm running 1500m in the Norwegian Indoor Championship. I don't know what to expect - time will show.

Worth reading!

2010-02-14T15:27:00.001+01:00

I'm finally feeling fine today and went for a 45 min jog. Yesterday I finished the Dwain Chambers' book - Race Against Me.

First, I would like to say that I have never read books like this before. I've never found it very interesting to read other people's sad story of life. But, Chambers' story was tempting to read, especially because of the "rumors" about the American sprinters and the general suspiciousness of drug use in athletics.

Second, I would say that this book is not a literary pearl and the linguistic flow could have been better. But that said, Chambers got a lot to say. He got a lot of anger and contempt to share with his readers.

He starts off with a lot of shit throwing on other athletes and what most of us did not know of the doctors they see or how many drug tests they've missed without getting in trouble. I understand where he wants the reader to go, but that doesn't excuse your own decision in doing such a big mistake in life.

I thought it was quite interesting to read about what made him go on to the drug program of Victor Conte. Not that I understand, but I can see that where he was in his life/career, and why he couldn't resist the temptation.

Chambers' battle to come back to the sport and earn respect might never end. He doesn't understand why so few people in the athletics or press, for that instance, can forgive that he choose to use THG and other illegal drugs. He thinks that as long he's served his suspension and tested several times negative since then, that people should leave him alone and let him race wherever he wants to.

I thought that some parts of the book had great descriptions of how Chambers felt and all the regret he felt to what he had done, but I didn't like that he had such a need of dragging other athletes and sports personalities into the mud. As long as it's only your own fault that you cheated and the aim is to run faster than the others, I think you should be very careful making other people look bad.

It's worth reading, but expect to look at the athletics in a different way afterwords.

My body needs rest

2010-02-12T19:10:00.002+01:00

(Photo:yr.no)
I've spent most of the day on my couch reading and sleeping. I woke up and didn't feel OK, or I actually woke up at 2 am and didn't feel too great. Then, at seven I felt quite bad and my throat was not what it should be like. So I stayed home and rested as much as I could.

I'm reading Dwain Chambers' My story - Race Against Me at the moment. I will comment on this book when I've finished it. There's a lot to say, or maybe one should not...

Weather's been absolutely stunning with bright sunshine like in Winter Wonderland, and I wish I was healthy and could go skiing today. Instead I had a snooze:)

Yesterday's howl!

2010-02-09T12:08:00.001+01:00

(Photo: http://www.tinestafetten.no/)

Yesterday Bislett Stadion finally opened for running all the way around again. Last year the track was open, but pretty chilly most of the distance. Now, it's insulated and covered with brick walls on both sides. The "new" indoor facility is nice, although I got the tunnel feeling at some places.

I'm really excited to keep up the distance training with 8x500 m with 2 min rest between. And I ran quite well last night too.

The training is open for kids as well as grown ups some nights during the week. Well, the kids come in big groups and I believe it was 15-20 kids running around (all together) last night. The coach had control of them until they were doing some striders towards the end. I met them running towards me and in the "incorrect" running direction. Come on kids! Wrong way and in both lanes.... I just had to give them a serious howl!!! Better learn by that one.

I stopped and went back to start over again... And I'm glad I didn't get as pissed off as I usually do. I controlled the next 500 and ran the same time as the previous one.

Working On a Dream

2010-02-08T17:30:00.000+01:00

People who know me quite well know I'm a Bruce Springsteen fan. I listen to Springsteen almost every day. Today at work I listen to this song and my thoughts went on about all the hard training I've been doing for so many years and still not pleased with where I am...

I've always believed I could run a major championship like the Europeans or the Worlds. But there's been so many barriers and so many incidents or just poor performances from my side that put a stop to this dream.

As you all know, I've changed much of my training back to what I used to like and used to do "back in the days". And this is the first time in so long that I believe I can qualify for the European Championship in Barcelona, Spain this summer. It's good to have a goal set and a dream that carries me along when training gets tough.

I'm off to practice soon and I will continue the hard work...

Great Inspiration!

2010-02-04T16:07:00.000+01:00

My training group have six members which I think is perfect in size. Yesterday and the day before two of them ran pb's!

Ingvill and her brother, Kjetil, both ran really well indoors in Vienna and Düsseldorf. Kjetil ran 3.46.28 and Ingvill 4.13.82, Norwegian record and qualifying for the Worlds Indoors. Nice job guys! Seems like the Måkestad family is in great shape:)

You guys are such an inspiration for my training. I know we are doing the right stuff!

Freezing cold

2010-02-01T14:43:00.001+01:00

During winter time and really cold conditions, my fingers can get cold and numb. When training, I'm usually fine with a regular pair of gloves during fall and winter.

A very good friend of mine easily gets one or two white fingers when training or staying outside in the cold air. I'm not a doctor and will not make any diagnosis, but maybe this is what he got?! Anyway, we call it "likfingre" in Norwegian. Which means dead body fingers with my liberal word by word translation:)

Now, when the temperature is below - 12-13C/53-55F, my fingers are freezing cold too. I think it's worse when I'm skiing than running. This pair of Yoko Arctic Gore Windstopper Gloves are fantastic.
You have one glove inside, then four fingers go into two chambers that make the lobster clove and one separate room for your thumb. When your fingers are closer together it feels much warmer. The fact that your fingers first are separated like a regular glove doesn't make them cold at all.

First I thought the Yoko's would be too thick and loose for skiing. But I never think of that when skiing.
Oops, and the best of the best; there's this tiny material of terry on the glove to wipe away from your runny nose. Yeah!

Cross country skiing for a change!

2010-01-31T18:52:00.001+01:00

Tomorrow is one weeks since I got back from Lanzarote. I had only easy runs until Thursday. Sometimes that's really nice. Just to catch up with yourself.

I feel rested now and ready to continue the good work. The upcoming week will be very similar to previous weeks before Lanzarote. Double sessions but only single thresholds sessions and something quicker tomorrow.

Some of my easy long runs are replaced with cross country skiing. It's really nice to get out and far in to the forrest and ski up- and downhills. I got a pair of Fischer RCS Classic skis this winter. I have had some skis I really hated and never got comfortable with. Now I have a softer pair suited for my height and weight. I love them!!! I also got a pair of Salomon S-Lab Classic Pilot ski boots. Very tight and snug fit.

Tomorrow the skis are replaced with Adidas Adizero Aegis and racing flats at night.

Woodway - the finest?

2010-01-29T15:08:00.001+01:00

Another snow fall last night and five new centimeters to bike paths and side walks...
I did my morning jog at the Olympic Center and finished off with 30 min of circle (my strength regular program). Treadmill is a great invention, but really boring to run on, I think.

I'm used to run on the Woodway Desmo HP. I used that at my former job and here at my gym. Woodway got really stable treadmills with good pacing. A good treadmill is characterized by it's size, speed running surface and stability, in my opinion.

What a beast
The Desmo HP is rock solid with the weight of 200 kg/445 pounds. The speed limit is 20 km/t/12.5 mph on the Desmo HP in Norway. But some order the machine with an unlocked speed limit and the Desmo can reach 24 km/t/15 mph. Unfortunately, didn't the Olymiatoppen (The Olymic Center) where my gym is order the faster ones. But we are coping with 20 km/t and aiming for better threshold results in the future. The Desmo HP got a wider belt (55 cm/21.5 inches) than the regular tredmills. That make me run more relaxed.

No compromise
Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of training on the treadmill. Even though the Woodway's the best of the best, it still make me feel bad when running easy. Running at 12 km/t is 5 minutes per kilometer, which is easy outside, but can feel like a semi-quick pace on the Woodway. Hate that feeling!

Got to love
Still, I'm really happy for having the opportunity to train indoors either on the treadmill or soon to be finished; the Bislett Stadium underneath.

Indoors tonight

2010-01-28T15:22:00.001+01:00

I have had a few easy days and tried to rest as much as possible. I have run once or twice a day and only in a slow pace. The side walks are nightmares now. Snow and road salt = bad combination.

Tonight I'm running something like 10x300 m at Ekeberghallen. That's an indoor facility here in Oslo with a funny surface and curved bends. Not a very quick surface, but fine. You just have to change your spikes to indoor spikes like the ones in the picture.

The work with isolation underneath Bislett Stadion is not completet yet. Unbelievable timing when it's freakin' cold outside...! But anyway, Bislett is suppose to be finished by February 8. Not that far away!

Until then, I will switch to indoor spikes:)

Hot news!

2010-01-26T23:15:00.003+01:00

I’ve been waiting for the adizero Aegis. Aegis - a limited edition and a go-fast-trainer. My boyfriend, or should I say my fiancée? Well, he gave me the Adidas Adizero Aegis this morning. How exciting to wake up and find a new pair of running shoes beside my bed!

The Aegis is a new and won’t replace any model. The Adizero Boston will continue, but with some changes. The Aegis got a moderate pronation support, but there’s no traditional support bridge or harder material on the inside of the shoes.

My step is neutral and I didn’t think of the Aegis as very stable, but I didn’t think it was soft and unstable either. What about the cushion? I expected it to be very similar to the Boston. But it is actually a different feeling in this model. Many think of Boston as a racing shoe with the advantage of more cushion than other models. I’ve used the Boston as my trainer. First impression of the Aegis in -8C/17F is that the shoe is firmer and feels less cushioned than the Boston.

Cushion in the Aegis; includes adiPRENE+ cushioning in the forefoot, which maintains propulsion and acts as a shock absorber and has a non-slip lining for better performance. The Aegis is designed with a durable adiWEAR outsole and an air mesh upper to provide good ventilation. It also includes a TORSION system for stabilizing the foot and providing light arch support and has a molded respoEVA sockliner for a comfortable fit. I really like the snug fit. But this is only my first impression, since I’ve only run once with it.

The sizing is standard, the heel is narrow to medium fit, the mid-foot low to medium width, the toe-box is semi-low and the arch structure is far from the traditional “Adidas-fit” with an high arch. The arch is low.

Men's US 9/UK 8.5 - 266g (Thanks Tore!!)

Women's US7.5/UK 6 – 245 g

I think the Aegis will be used mostly as a racing shoe for long distances like 10K, half marathons and marathons.

Leaving for Norway today

2010-01-25T13:00:00.000+01:00

Soon my flight is leaving for Norway. I'm excited to come back home. It's great to travel and run at different places, but there's also something special about coming home to normal life.

Yesterday and this morning, I ran easy long runs. I'm tired from lots of training, but my legs are pretty good.

Here's a photo from our balcony:)

Pace and chase!

2010-01-23T21:53:00.001+01:00

I have had my best training camp ever. I've run as much as I've wanted too. And I've run better on track sessions than in many years, and I have rested better between sessions than before.

This morning started with a threshold session with 10 min - 8 min - 10 min with one minute rest. Ingvill and be started at the same time. She is stronger than me, and I was left behind at an early stage. But I was not left that far behind that I couldn't benefit from her presence. Turning around to run the 8 minute with tailwind, I was in front and Ingvill was chasing me. The same procedure running in to the headwind again; me pacing Ingvill until she passed me and I chasing her again.

Second session with the same procedure, but now with Johannes' company. We were running 20-25x45/15. Running 45 seconds/"resting" 15. Me behind towards the wind and them chasing me back down. Great Teamwork! If you want to know more about my great friend Ingvill, she just got a blog:)

Easy long run tomorrow and then lots of resting.

A good start!

2010-01-22T22:53:00.008+01:00

2010 has started really well for me. First my boyfriend proposed to me January 8th. So now I'm engaged! Yeah!

Then I left for warm weather training at Lanzarote. And my running has improved every week since November. I'm really happy with the small improvements I have almost every week. With improvements, I mean that I run faster or feel better than last time or earlier sessions on the treadmill. Monday, I had faster splits on the track session than I had last summer. That makes me feel really confident and excited about 2010.

There's a lot of fresh gear to be excited about as well coming up this spring. First I want to mention the Nike Lunar Elite+. You have heard of the Nike Lunatrainer? Or the Nike LunaRacer? The Lunaracer will continue, but with some improvements. If you had last years version, you will probably love this 2010-model as well. Lunatrainer is last year's news.

Nike Lunar Elite will be one to watch, I think! Lunar Elite replaces the Nike Zoom Elite. But this model is much lighter and will feel a lot different. I will get this model as soon as I get back home, and I will let you know what I think!

An other model to be excited about is the Adidas AdiZero Aegis. I don't know much about this model yet. I have tried it on my foot...It felt really nice. You can read more about this model here.

There's a lot more to be excited about! I will save that for later.

Now I need to rest up for tomorrow's two threshold session....

Under pressure!

2010-01-20T17:03:00.001+01:00

It's a fact that I'm getting older... And sometimes I even feel old. At least older than the rest of the members of my training group.

I'm actually surprised how well my body is coping with the workouts in competition pace. But I guess it's got to do with my mind as well. You have to be motivated and stay focused when it's important.

Recovery is a key word if you are a young athlete or a mature one, like me:)
Resting between workouts, eating well, drinking enough and getting necessary massage. I'm lucky to have free massage at home, but I also use compression socks for stiff and sore calves after training.

I always bring my CEP compression socks or my CEP compression soccer sleeves when I travel. I've had a few track session here at Lanzarote and my calves are sore from the unaccustomed surface. Then the sleeves or the socks are great to put when resting in the couch.

If you need some advice on nutrition and what to eat to perform better there's a few new web sites to check out. Unfortunately only in Norwegian... YT and Sunnhetsbloggen are worth a click or two.

I'm off for another run in the sun!

Feeling good!

2010-01-18T22:51:00.006+01:00

The first week has passed by very quickly. We have rented a house - Casa Milla, in Puerto Calero in Lanzarote. Very nice house with big rooms, nice pool, small tennis court.. Very nice!

The group - five runners (here) and our coach are having a good time. Today we went to La Santa for a track session. Things went really well for me and I'm excited of the improvement. I did from 300-700 m intervals in competition-pace. Long time since last I felt this good. I will take that feeling with me back to the winter-training.

Tomorrow is sprints day. We will go back to the track and do drills, sprints and strength training.

Functional or just pretty?

2010-01-14T09:40:00.006+01:00

The Ulvang wool shirt felt nice and soft.
The Bavac shirt felt rough on my skin.

Earlier this winter I received a few long sleeve tops from Bavac and Vegard Ulvang. Two brands within the same company. Ulvang produce wool and Bavac synthetic garments for training.

I never liked the Bavac Tempo shirt. The material didn't feel soft or very comfortable. It's made of 100% Dri-release next (92% polyester, 8% cotton), Freshguard. The shirt I have got has a flower/star pattern on one of the arms (almost like the photo). This can not have been tested much before production. I wanted to pull up the arms because I got warm during a run. Because of this plastic pattern on the sleeve, the shirt was less flexible and stretchy. I could only get the sleeve half way up up. During the run it started to rain and the arm with this pattern on felt very uncomfortable and the shirt did not breath as good as I expected.

The same story with the Ulvang klassisk polo m/ glidelås (with zipper). This shirt looks really pretty and the wool feels so soft. This is a top I would wear after training or when feeling cold at home. When wearing this at training, the arms felt different than the rest of the long sleeve top. I think that's because of the plastic pattern...

I think these to garments look good, but the functional standard is not top of the range for me.

Off to warmer weather

2010-01-10T21:57:00.002+01:00

I have just finished up packing for Lanzarote. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for a two week training camp. It will be so nice to focus on running and rest as much as possible between the workouts. And, the cold weather is starting to get on my nerves here. Last week had an average of -17C/1.4F, I think at my place. That's just too cold!

Stay tuned for reports from Lanzarote and Puerto Calero!