Peter goes on a solo podcast and discusses how he got into nearly 10 years ago, his first race, his first marathon, his first ultramarathon, nutrition, here, training, and plans.
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Peter Runs the 2026 M.O.M.’s Run in the Altra Vanish Carbons
Okay, I have to admit I was surprised. I had had a pretty stressful week leading up to this race, and I didn’t sleep all that well the night before. I went into this race planning to treat it as a time trial for my Next Big Race™️. I was expecting to run it somewhere in the 8-9 minute per mile pace.
I used my time trial structured workout with my Garmin Forerunner 965, synced from my Coach Parry dashboard. It called for a 10 minute easy run, followed by 5 30 second runs at around an 8:30 pace, followed by 30 seconds of cooldown at around 13.30. I did that with a few minutes to spare and made my way to the starting line.
The whole time, I was a little worried that the new Altra Vanish Carbons felt a little restricted at the top. My toes weren’t hitting the front of the shoe, but they were rubbing against the top. This is the same phenomenon that kept me from buying the Altra Escalante 3 and that I later also discovered in the Altra Torin 7. The design from that year seems to have spilled over into the Vanish Carbon, leaving less toe room. As someone who has gotten black and blue toenails (and lost one – twice) this wasn’t a good feeling.
What was a good feeling was how fast I was at the outset. The shoes did make me feel faster, and I had to actually brake a couple of times to avoid crashing into other runners who were zigging as I was zagging trying to pass them. While it wasn’t my plan, I went all out. I looked at my Garmin and read my heart rate (working with the Polar Verity Sense) and it showed me at 171 bpm. I was concerned. Later I saw my HR go over 173. A few years ago, that was pretty much the top end of my range. I really was working hard!
And the first mile or so of this course was uphill! I pressed on, regardless. My breathing was labored, but I was moving and I did not want to slow down.
Well, I did slow down, but only a little!
I did not expect to set a new personal best in the 1km, 1mi, 2mi, or 5km distances, but – somehow – that’s exactly what happened.
Screenshot Afterward there was food, and it was tasty! Good pizza, pasta, chicken fingers, and – perhaps most importantly – beer! Worth the price of admission, will run again.
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Peter Unboxes the Altra Vanish Carbon 
In this video, I unboxed my first pair of Altra Vanish Carbon shoes!
First steps in my Altra Vanish Carbon shoes.
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Marblehead Half Marathon 2026
This weekend I had the pleasure(?) of running the Marblehead Half Marathon. Not only did I run it, I set a new personal best! My previous record for 13.1 miles was during the Derry Cheap Marathon in 2022, when I hit the halfway point at around 2:02. I finished Marblehead in 1:58:23, so that’s my new time to beat.
TL;DR
The course was well marked. They started on time. Parking was plentiful. Instructions were clear. Aid stations were spaced well. The food at the end was rewarding, and included chicken sliders, donuts, and even Athletic Brewing NA beers! The ocean views were pleasant.
The Gear
In addition to my Garmin Forerunner 965, I wore my Salomon Adv Skin 12 and [altra_escalante]. Between me and the Altras were a pair of Coolmax socks. Up top, I had a Port Authority cap. Even though it wasn’t hot – the temps were in the 40s the whole time – the cap kept the sun and sweat out of my eyes. I also “wore” Neutrogena Sun Screen, which did a fine job keeping me safe from the nasty UV rays that want to prematurely age my skin.
Even though I did not carry water, as aid stations were plenty, I found the Salomon Adv Skin 12 useful for carrying my phone, airpods, and energy gel.
The Course
The course itself was a bit hillier than other road halfs I have done, but not unmanageable. I used my Garmin Forerunner 965‘s PacePro to set a pacing strategy. I found its in-race guidance very helpful and not at all annoying. It adjusted my targets every mile based on my previous splits, which was helpful.
I would absolutely run this race again. 👍
The Training
Last year I joined Coach Lindsay Parry’s coaching program to prepare for my first 50 miler. I used their program again to train for Marblehead this year. They helped me balance speed work, long runs, and recovery. They also set time trials and adjusted my training paces based on their results. Thanks in no small part to them, and my coach at Fit In New England, I was able to shave nearly 4 minutes off my fastest 13.1 mile segment (and nearly 7 minutes off my fastest 13.1 mile race in 2022)!
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Review: Salomon Advance Skin 12
Last year I upgraded from my old Nathan hydration vest to a Salomon Advance Skin 12. This was a worthy upgrade! While both feature breast pockets for smaller bottles on the chest as well as an old school, Camelbak style bladder in the back pouch, the main difference is the elastic straps on the Salomon.
Salomon Advance Skin 12 Hydration Vest
For me, this is a game changer. The old vest I had would bounce around after I had drunk from it, or would be too tight if I added things to its pouches.
Another feature of the Advance Skin 12 is the adjustable straps, which connect across the chest in one to three places, depending on your choices. I can also usually do this by feel without having to look at the connection points. This is useful when running and not wanting to take my eyes off the trail or path I’m on.
The Advance Skin 12 has allowed me to carry plenty of water. I used this on my 52 mile ultra in 2025, and it kept me plenty hydrated between aid stations. Normally I’ll use it to carry two water bottles on my chest, an iPhone, AirPods, tissues, snacks, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, and sometimes a few other knickknacks. For anything longer than 10 miles, I’m almost certain to bring this along for the run.
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Review: ORVYTHA Merino Wool Toe Socks
The full title of this Amazon alphabet soup vendor’s product is “Merino Wool Toe Socks For Hiking Men&Women Thermal Winter Warm Boot Work Cushion Five Finger Socks 3 Pairs.”
I’ve only worn them on a couple of winter runs so far because it’s early March and we’ve had a lot of snow. Supposedly they are comfortable in warm weather as well as cold, but I have not had a chance to test this yet. However I have been wearing them for the last three days exclusively indoors and out. They have been very comfortable even in my thick slippers, and although my feet have felt warm, they haven’t been too warm.
The large size fit my (US Size 12) feet very well. These socks are thick. You can see just how thick in this photo.
Update: I have been wearing the same pair of these socks for the last three days – deliberately. “Gross?” Actually no! But that was the test – how gross do they really get, or how fresh do they stay?
They remain comfortable and fresh, even after getting soaking wet when I stepped out on my back deck in the rain last night and again this evening. As unpleasant as it sounds, I left them on while wet to test their moisture wicking capability. It wasn’t long before I’d completely forgotten that I’d gotten them wet!
So far, they are two big toes up! 👍👍
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Review: Polar Verity Sense Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor
A couple of months ago I purchased the Polar Verity Sense. This is a Bluetooth (and ANT) heart rate monitor. I use it for running, generally paired to my Garmin Forerunner 965. The device has many special features. I have not tested them all and probably never will. Here’s a summary of the features I have used over the last couple of months.
Background
My weekly routine generally includes running, walking, yoga, mobility, and strength training. In the nicer months – when I am not training for a running race – cycling, mountain biking, kayaking, and swimming may be included as well. In general, I only use an external heart rate monitor (HRM) while running. This is because I find the built in sensors on an Apple Watch or Garmin Forerunner to be perfectly adequate for my purposes.
But when it comes to running, that’s just not the case. I have seen results that are wildly different from reality. This is especially true on the Apple Watch, which frequently will have my heart rate in the “he should be dead by now” range when I’m warming up with a light jog. On the flip side, on occasion my Garmin seems to have underestimated, and tells me I’m in Zone 1 when I’m gasping for air and working pretty hard.
Enter the solution – a heart rate monitor worn on the upper arm. Before you stop me and say “But Peter, a chest strap is the only way to accurately measure your heart rate during intense exercise,” I know. And I don’t care. Chest straps are a hassle. I find them very uncomfortable. In my testing a couple of years ago I found a chest strap’s results to be within 1% of an HRM worn on my upper arm. I am not a professional or an Olympic athlete. If you tell me I need more accurate results, I will ask you why. Conclusion? I’m perfectly satisfied wearing an HRM on my upper arm. If you’re not, don’t buy the Polar Verity Sense. If you are, read on!
Form Factor
The Polar’s nylon loop strap is very comfortable. Its construction feels better than other bands I have worn over the last several years. It allows for precision adjustment, and doesn’t lock you in to presets like on a plastic band.
Unlike other units I have owned, the Verity Sense does not include a charging cable. The actual sensor is removable from the strap. This is a requirement for charging via the included USB-A charger. At first I found this extra step somewhat of a nuisance, as there are now three components (a strap, sensor, and charger) to keep track of (and possibly lose) instead of just two (a strap/sensor and a cable). I’ve gotten over this because I do like the small form factor of the charger.
I do not know exactly how long it takes to charge the unit, or exactly how long the battery life really is. What I do know is that I have never had the unit’s battery run out on me. On paper, the battery life is 30 hours. So if I tackle more than a 100 mile race down the road, this may not fit the bill. I don’t have one of those on the schedule yet, so I don’t care.
Daily Use
I have used the Polar Verity Sense for nearly every running workout for the last couple of months. I have paired it to my Apple Watch and my Garmin Forerunner 965. Pairing is simple and works as expected. When powered on and starting a workout on the watch, it has never failed to automatically pair. It’s reliable enough that I don’t have to think about it – I just make sure it’s powered on, start the workout on the watch, and run.
The results are in line with what I expect. I have not had any issues where they varied wildly from what I would expect, as has been the case with Coospo and the built in Apple Watch sensor. As such, I have grown to trust its readings as they “feel more accurate” to me. This could just be a gut sense, but using the “you should be able to carry on a conversation” gauge to see if I am in Zone 2, as well as the “this should feel pretty much like all out effort” for higher zone training, it’s again pretty much where I would expect the readings. They are more consistent, and they do not feel more consistently wrong.
Oddities & Annoyances
The lack of precise (or even ballpark) battery life is a slight annoyance. I have installed the Polar Flow app on my iPhone 17 Pro, and connected via Bluetooth. However the app tells me that as of January 19, the battery life was 64%. That’s interesting, but what is it right now? You know, now – when the sensor is paired to you? No idea. As a result, I recharge it a couple of times a week and don’t really think about the battery life anymore. Still, as a techie, it bothers me when things don’t work, even if they’re just nice to haves.
Update: On March 7 I connected my device to my iPhone and the app displayed its battery life again! I did nothing differently. In fact, I did less then previous attempts where I’d manually synced to try to get the battery life to show. Today it just showed it on its own. Coincidentally, my Garmin Forerunner 965 reported that the external HRM’s battery was low.
This morning during my yoga class, I glanced at my Garmin and saw that my heart rate was 0 BPM. Checking my pulse to make sure I was not dead, I then remembered I had placed the unit on the charger last night. Sure enough, it was charging and paired to the Garmin. I removed it from the charger and it disconnected, immediately switching to my watch’s built in sensor. It seems like the unit should be able to detect when it’s charging and not send HR data at that time.
Things I did Not Test
The Polar Verity Sense can be strapped to your temple when wearing goggles while swimming. I do not remember the last time I used goggles while swimming – I now use mine when cutting onions.
The device can run in a memory mode to store workouts and upload them later. I don’t do this – I track my workouts on my watch.
The device has ANT support and can pair with gym equipment. I don’t do this either.
The device allows you to broadcast your heart rate to any nearby device, like in a class when you want to have it show up on a screen.
The device lets you broadcast your heart rate to two Bluetooth devices at the same time. I haven’t tried this. I think if I did, it would only be to compare the results of tracking a workout in two different apps when getting a new watch, or comparing Apple to Garmin.
Would I Buy It Again?
Yes. As far as I am concerned this device has one job, and it does the job well. I have a sense of peace of mind that I did not get with other HRMs I have used in the past (e.g. Wahoo and Coospo). Maybe it’s because the Polar costs around twice as much and I’m just hopeful that it will last twice as long or longer than the other units I’ve had. 👍
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Review: Altra Torin 8 GTX
I’ve been a fan of Altra for years now. I started with their Escalante series (2.5, then Racer, then Lone Peak 5, and 7). I currently have two pairs of the Escalante 4, and two pairs of the Torin 8. I’ve been rocking the Altra Torin 8 since last summer. Last fall I purchased the Torin 8 GTX – Gore-Tex version. They’ve become my new standard shoe.
The waterproof aspect of these shoes is a game changer. Whereas I can usually wear wool socks (generally from Injinji) and not be bothered by my feet getting wet, the Torin 8 GTX actually keeps my feet dry. I have been using these for my daily runs and long runs nearly non-stop for the last several weeks, as I’ve been in snowy or rainy environments for most of the month of February. When it’s icy outside, I’ve been strapping a pair of YakTrax Run on the bottom for sure footing.
The GTX model weighs about 1 oz more than the non Gore-Tex model. So if you are sensitive to this you may want to skip them on dry days to avoid that whole extra ounce of weight. Other than that, I haven’t really detected any difference in the shoes.
Both boast zero drop – so the toe and the heel are the same height. While I have backed off on my “barefoot” or “minimalist” requirements, I insist on zero drop for almost all of my shoes.
For my long runs (longer than an hour) on pavement, I generally default to the Torin. They have a generous amount of cushion without feeling wobbly.
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Review: Altra Lone Peak ALL-WTHR Mid 2
I bought the Altra Lone Peak ALL-WTHR Mid 2 a little over a year ago. They are my go to shoe for wet, snowy, muddy trail conditions. If you’re running in Winter, snow, slush, or mud, these are worth a look!
Building on the Lone Peak, these shoes add extra height around the ankle to keep out mud, snow, and water. They have one of the most aggressive soles I’ve encountered, and do a pretty good job maintaining traction. If I need to, I can always strap on a pair of spikes but normally I don’t except for really icy conditions.
Normally when I find a pair of shoes that I like, I buy two pairs so I can swap them out and they’ll last longer. However since they are my “extreme” pair, they are still very low mileage and I only have one pair.
As with all of my Altras, they have a wide toe box so your feet have plenty of room to move. They are a mid level cushion shoe. After running primarily in the Torins for a while, I could definitely feel the difference between a high and a mid. Given that I was on a lot of squishy snow, I did not miss the extra cushion, but I could tell the difference.
They do weigh a little more than the regular Lone Peak, but that’s to be expected because there’s more shoe. Like the Torin 8 GTX, they are made with Gore-Tex, and it works. On a recent run I splashed right down into a slushy puddle of water. While I could feel the cold almost instantly, my feet remained dry the entire time. There’s nothing quite like returning home after a long run, taking off your shoes, and not feeling like you need to immediately strip off the toe socks which diligently cling to each individual toe like a barnacle.
If you ever feel like running in the rain, mud, or snow but didn’t want to because you don’t like your feet turning into prunes, pick up a pair of the Lone Peak All-WTHR Mid 2.