saturday, march 24, 2012
New Shoes
The budget has been pretty tight of late and I have put off getting new shoes. I've been really happy with the Adidas Supernova 3 I got last year but they are getting up there in terms of mileage and I need to start thinking about breaking in a new pair for the longer miles I'm planning this summer.So I popped in for a visit with my friends down at Sole Sports and tried on a heap of shoes to see what the new models have to offer. I tried on about a half dozen pairs before deciding on the Brooks Ravenna 3.
This is a medium stability shoe that's got a bit of attention for its forefoot design. That might be the case but it proved a snug but comfortable fit and didn't have any of the little issues that have bloomed into blister problems for me in the past. read more
monday, august 01, 2011
New Shoes
One big plus of heading out to Oregon was to take a day to head down to Eugene and stop by the Eugene Running Company. While the city of Eugene is awash with Nike corporate merchandising and proto-hippie bullshit this place is a island of sanity where you actually meet some folks who know what the hell they are doing.I stopped by the store for the first time two years ago when I attended Owen Anderson's Running Camp at the University of Oregon. The Eugene Running Company turned out to be one of the unexpected pleasures of that adventure.
Anyway, I knew I would be needing a new pair of shoes for the rest of this training effort and I also needed some new gear. After conferring a bit I settled on the Adidas Supernova 3 which is the new version of the pair I used last year (but not the newest edition of this shoe). read more
tuesday, february 08, 2011
New Shoes
The plan was to go buy a new pair of shoes to give my legs a little bit of variation from the current pair of Adidas Supernova Sequence 3 I picked up three months ago. These have been a stalwart pair of shoes but they are at about 330 miles and entering their final few weeks of service.So, due to a pretty anemic budget I was aiming for one new pair. Instead I picked up two. The Nike Lunarglide+ and the New Balance Men's 760. It turns out the current version of both these shoes don't work for me but the old models work like a charm. The result is both were pretty heavily discounted due to being discontinued so I grabbed 'em both.
I'll keep using the Adidas for the long runs since they are well broken in but I'll start using one of these on my weekday runs. The real hope here is that whatever is messed up in my calf is due to some quirk in my mechanics due to the old pair and all the extra miles I've put on 'em. We'll see if that theory holds soon enough... read more
monday, november 08, 2010
New Shoes
I got to Birmingham with a sore ankle and the need for a new pair of shoes to address it. My concern was that the pair of Mizunos I bought back in August were rubbing the outside of right ankle causing 1) irritation from repeated rubbing and 2) stress due to the affect on my mechanics. They certainly had the miles left in them but as my training mileage increases they could be a real issue.So I took the rental car and popped over to The Trak Shak in Homewood to get the problem taken care of. Walking in there were a bunch of lean looking guys poring over a ton of socks on the floor. I was in the right place.
I talked to the salesguy for a bit and got exactly what I wanted to hear -- a bit of understanding, a bit of disagreement and a lot of options on what to look for in terms of shoes. He hauled out about six boxes and I started going through them. read more
wednesday, august 18, 2010
Easy Run
Distance: 3.5 miles (approx)Time: 30:00
Comments: I woke up feeling very sore from the track effort. I stalled on getting out for the run longer than necessary but got over there by 8 a.m. It rained yesterday evening so the temperature was much cooler although the humidity was through the roof. And instead of running around the part, I did this one on the banks of picturesque Thude Lake.
I had my new Garmin on but did the run in the flat 30 minutes like before. Overall it felt pretty good given my soreness and very good in terms of strength. No sloppy nonsense at the 3/4 mark. I got back and unloaded the info but then ran slam into software issues with the new device. Think they are sorted now but no idea what my distance was. I'd put the effort just above the 8 min pace or so. read more
wednesday, august 04, 2010
New Shoes
It has been long enough since I last ran that new shoes aren't even an option. Of course I went and left my custom orthotics in Peru so I had to get some customized soles. Superb.After conferring with the good folks at Sole Sports down the street I settled on the Mizuno Wave Inspire 6. It's got a bit of motion control for my pronation issues but not so much it's like wearing an army boot. It also has a comfortable feel and didn't chaff the ball of my foot -- a real issue when I start putting on serious miles.
I think this is the first time I've gone with Mizuno's so we'll see how they perform.
tuesday, february 23, 2010
New Shoes
With the blistering I've had to suffer through from using my regular running shoes on the South Mountain trail workouts - I decided to investigate other options. I popped into Sole Sports and got a bit of input on the situation from my shoe guru Katie.The concern Coach Dean had was that a "trail" shoe would likely dampen the strengthening effects of doing these workout. By protecting the foot with a litany of devices there's isn't any development of the musculature that tends to do that work.
But my regular running shoes are problematic as well. The South Mountain trails have a section or two of relatively normal terrain but most is chaotic up and down dirt work. The result is the advantages of the regular shoes - and orthotics - is pretty much negated completely. Or, even worse, a detriment as I've seen with the blistering. read more
thursday, june 11, 2009
New Shoes
After the workout at the track I went to Sole Sports and picked up a new pair of shoes for the running effort. The logic being that since I am just starting out on this new marathon training effort, now is the time to experiment with equipment - changing things with a month or two left to go wouldn't be very advisable.Since I got the custom orthotics I've also been concerned about the support of my shoes. I have usually gotten a shoe with mid-arch support but the orthotics themselves should be picking up this load. In fact having a shoe with such design could be taking things too far in the other direction.
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thursday, may 07, 2009
Running Log/Goal Pace Run
Distance: 6 milesTime: 45:00
Comments: A pretty good run ruined by the $300 piece of junk on my wrist.
I got out a bit early. There was a nice fog on the malencon so it was cool and without sun. Pretty much ideal. I started off with the intention of getting six miles at sub-8:00/mi but was pretty clearly knocking it out at goal pace and feeling pretty good about it.
I got to the three mile turnaround and felt a bit fatigued but not crazy so. I still kept the sub-8 in my target but saw my pace was often right on the 7:27 goal. Mile five was kinda rough but that's also the uphill portion on the return.
Then, somewhere around the 5.5 mi point the garmin died. Dead. It went back to telling time and was completely unresponsive. It's been giving me problems for weeks but this was the first time I couldn't coax it to do anything. Which pissed me off no end since I really wanted to see what the splits were on this effort. read more
monday, february 09, 2009
Running Log/Easy Run
Distance: 6 milesTime: 47:36
Comments: Well, it's been awhile since I laced up. Work and all. So I just decided to shoot for six good miles and see what kind of progress or lack of I've made with the week off.
I ended up putting in just shy of the six mile mark but averaged about 8:10 per mi the whole way. Somehow I messed up the garmin so I've no idea of splits or any of that but I guess that's not important for this run.
The orthotics didn't hurt as much as they have done in the past but my legs are achy in the hips and hamstrings.
Conditions:
Hour: 4:50 p.m.
Surface: asphalt/concrete
Weather: cloudy/rain
Temperature: 63 degrees
Humidity: 38 percent
Wind: 10 mi/hr w/ strong gusts read morewednesday, january 28, 2009
Running Log/Easy Run
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 32:26
Garmin link
Comments: First run with the new customized and not un-cheap orthopedics. Was planning a six-mile goal pace effort but cut it down due to the new equipment.
It worked out pretty good. No big problems with the run - my pace hovered just above the 8 minute mile range - but there's still going to be some adjustment to the new shoes. The middle of the left foot and just under the ball of the right were sore much of the way.
Conditions:Hour: 4:50 p.m.
Surface: asphalt/concrete
Weather: clear
Temperature: 64 degrees
Humidity: 20 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Chandler, Arizona read moremonday, january 19, 2009
Running Log/Easy Run
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 32:04
Garmin link
Comments: Run-of-the-mill easy/recovery run made somewhat notable because it was my first outing with the orthotic. Initial assessment? It feels like I'm running along a speed bump the entire way.
Outside of the weirdness factor it seemed to do quite well. On the one hand I didn't have any serious response from all the known achy spots and may even have felt a bit more push in my stride to boot.
But the relatively comfortable 8:10/mi average pace could also be marked up to the week-long layoff and six mile effort on Saturday. Overall, though, a pretty good little effort.
Conditions:Hour: 10:30 a.m.
Surface: asphalt/concrete read moresunday, january 04, 2009
New Shoes/Camelbak
I took a bit of time this morning to drop in at Sole Sports and pick up a new pair of shoes for the effort. I've had a lot of luck with Nike Equalon2's I got in November but it's probably time to have a backup pair.
I decided on the Asics Kayano 14. It's been... damn, two years since I last had a pair of Kayano's. I recall they were a solid enough shoe that had the misfortune to be what I was running in when my hip first went fluky so I switched to Brooks' out of desperation and then stuck with them.
The idea here is to have a backup pair of shoes slightly different than my high-mileage set. I'll do my recovery and track runs in these and, if they pan out, move them to the long runs after the next race. read morefriday, november 21, 2008
New Shoes/Therapy
I have been pretty busy this week dealing with the various ailments that have beset me here at the end of the training push.
First off has been the problem with the patellar tendon on my right leg. At this point, I'm pretty much resigned to having to run with pain in my knee but I don't want to do real injury or have it get at all worse.
I went on Monday and got acupuncture therapy on the knee at the suggestion of my sister. In honesty, it had felt somewhat better in the wake of the long run so my feeling is it has kind of stabilized. But at this point I'll try anything.
I also got a pretty thorough massage this afternoon that was... well, brutal is probably the best description. My quads were "like stone" starting out, according to my masseuse and we ended up making it a two-hour session. I felt like I had run another 20-miler afterward. read morewednesday, october 22, 2008
Running Log/Easy Run
Distance: 2.6 miles
Time: 21:27
Garmin link
Comments: I had no intention of doing this run but after buying my Garmin I wanted to get a test run in just to try it out. Basically this was around the block trying to keep it at the easy run pace of 8:20 per mile. The final effort came out at about 8:15 total so that's pretty good.
Conditions:Hour: 2:00 p.m.Injury update: N/A.
Surface: asphalt/concrete
Weather: sunny
Temperature: 85 degrees
Humidity: 7 percent
Wind: calm
Location: Chandler, Arizona
Shoes: Brooks Trance VIII
Sin Musica
Supplemental training: Three sets of 20 on the Roman Chair - sit up, back extensions and push ups. Very difficult although better result than expected.wednesday, october 22, 2008
Garmin Forerunner 405
UPDATED 05/07/09 Do not purchase this device. It is a $300 piece of junk. It worked passably well at first but within six weeks I was having problems. By six months, it was useless.tuesday, october 21, 2008
Powerline Roman Chair
So my sister, who clearly hates me and intends on collecting my portion of the inheritance, ponied up and ordered a Powerline Roman Chair via Sams Club.
Now I had an experience with this ugly beast of exercise equipment earlier this year and didn't enjoy it one bit. Still, I had a noticeable increase in mid-body strength that I can't underestimate.
So my sister - who also is interested in this approach to strength training - offered to pick up the damned thing with the understanding it will go live with her when I'm out of the country.
For now I'm keeping it chained in the garage and undergoing it's evil machinations intermittently as I get into this key month of training. It's not something I'm looking forward to.tuesday, september 30, 2008
New Shoes
Got off the plane from Peru and drove right over to Performance Footwear in Tempe for a new pair or shoes. The Brooks Trance VI has been a stalwart pair for my training but, sadly, has been discontinued. But the newest version of the shoe, the VIII, is very similar and has an almost identical feel.
I figure I'll finish out my marathon training on the old pair and use the new ones for speed work and such. My one concern is that these might give me those unpleasant blisters on the balls of my feet like the VII's did.monday, february 25, 2008
Supplemental Training
A few weeks ago, after confering with both my coach and my chiropractor I decided to implement some core training into my marathon preparation efforts.
This is not intended to make me faster, or more powerful or give me washboard abs or any of that happy horsesh*t. It's an effort to forestall injury, plain and simple.
The logic here is this, my psoas has been a continual problem as has the alignment of my hips. By increasing the strength in the muscles that support these particular muscles they won't have to do double duty under the stress I intend to put them through.My chiropractor was kind enough to lend me her Roman Chair for a few weeks to get started on these workouts. I say "kind" but I want you to know I've come up with a fantastic array of epithets to describe this little device. read more
tuesday, february 19, 2008
Running Log
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 34:57
Comments: A big ole recovery run that went very smoothly. I got out late since I was at my sister's the last few days but an afternoon run is a nice change.
Basically I just did a touch better than a jog the whole way. Nothing stressful although I was wary for danger signs...
After two years I finally played around with the split function on my watch. While the average mile for my run worked out to 8:44/mi the actual splits were: 8:41, 8:58, 9:01 and 8:17. Doesn't really matter much for this run but now I know how to work it so I can track my interval training better.
Conditions:Hour: 4:00 p.m.
Surface: concrete
Weather: sunny
Temperature: 71 degrees
Humidity: 33 percent read moresaturday, february 16, 2008
New Shoes
I went down to Runner's Den in Phoenix to pick up my packet for the Lost Dutchman race and there was a sale going on hoping to lure us in whilst we were there. I wanted to price a few items but didn't have much hope to find any of the marked down shoes that would fit me.
But, surprise of surprises, there was an Asics shoe in my size that I almost bought the new version of instead of the Nike's I am currently am training in - GT-2110. This is a medium-stability shoe with an emphasis on cushioning.
At half-off I certainly liked the price and I could use another pair of shoes for this effort. My strategy will be use this shoe for my recovery and easy runs, saving the Nike's for my interval training and long runs.thursday, january 24, 2008
New Shoes
After getting my run in today I decided I had gone long enough without putting down the necessary dough for a new pair of shoes. If I'm getting back into the training groove it just makes sense to be breaking in a new pair while the old ones reach their last miles.
As always, the good folks at Performance Footwear in Tempe, AZ were nothing but helpful. I knew my Brooks shoes were stalwart standbys but, since I want to be doing more speed work, I was looking for other option. After trying a pair of Asics that were really nice I settled on the Nike Equalon2.
Now I'm not much of a Nike fan and they certainly haven't made any effort to impress me with their running shoes over the past twenty years. I long felt they abandoned their original area of expertise to become a fashion line. And I don't care if my shoes look like ass as long as they are comfortable and don't cause me injury. read morethursday, september 06, 2007
New Shoes
Got off the plane in the morning a bit early for going to lunch so we stopped at Performance Footwear in Tempe to grab a much needed new pair of shoes.
I've had a lot of good miles with the current pair of Brooks Trance VI but after this marathon they are pretty much done mileage-wise and I need to have a good pair for starting the work for the next big effort.
I ended up going with the next version of this shoe, the Brooks Trance VII. It's a lot like it's predecessor in feel and comfort but is supposed to have a greater flexibility in the toe. read moretuesday, may 22, 2007
New Shoes
Well the time has come for a new pair of shoes to see me through this long haul to Sydney. The Brooks Adrenlines were bought seven months ago and, despite my preference for their feel, they have been associated with a number of injury issues since I bought them. At five months, the Asics Kayanos are right at five months and have a full marathon in them. If not done, they are close to the end of the line.
But, as I discovered last year, getting the specific shoes I need isn't possible here in Peru. So I called up the good folks at Performance Footwear in Tempe, AZ and did a quick consultation and decided on the Brooks Trance VI as the next pair for me. read moremonday, december 11, 2006
Week Startup: Marathon Training Week #5
The crunch is on. Five weeks. Three real running weeks and then two for the taper. I gotta get in the last of my quality miles over the next fortnight and hold my breath for the rest.
Getting the 20-miler in last week took a lot of the anxiety off me. I now know I've got the mininum of one under my belt that most experts reccomend. Now, its a matter of seeing if I can work in another without risking injury.
But the additional mileage means additional issues. Now I have the new shoes that seem to alleviate the calf problem I'm back dealing with the old problem - blisters on the ball of my foot. To address that I'm going to experiment with different lacings.Because how you lace your shoe dramatically affects how the shoe fits around your foot. Typically, I use the classic 'runner's lacing' where the lace goes through the top of each eyelet and follows a criss-cross pattern. This has the advantage of being one of the strongest patterns you can use but it is unforgiving if your foot has any type of peculiarity. read more
saturday, december 09, 2006
New Shoes
After running in the old Asics this week without the nagging calf problems I went back to Performance Footwear to see about getting a new pair of something along those lines.
I did a few laps around the parking lot in different pairs - including my old Saucony's - and, of course, the issue never came back up. But, although frustrating, that's damn good news.
In the end I went with a type of Asics that had a similar build but without the over-the-top motion control. The Asics Gel Kayano XII is one of those goofy looking shoes that you feel was designed as part of someone's Halloween costume. But, it has that same comfortable feel I have come to associate with the brand and that's, by far, the most important thing. read moremonday, october 30, 2006
New Shoes
On Saturday, I headed over to Performance Footwear in Tempe and picked up a new pair of shoes. Although I just picked up a new pair two weeks ago but my training miles are really piling up and it ain't a bad idea to alternate pairs under these conditions.
More importantly, I should have a good read on which shoe I like best for my long runs by early December or six weeks out from the race. That's when I'll buy the pair that I'll run the marathon in.
Anyhoo, I ended up buying the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 6. I tried these on two weeks ago and liked them but opted for the Sacony Grid Omni 5 because of the comfort factor. The Brooks have a more firm 'feel' to them but not at all the bulky sensation I associate with the motion control boots I was wearing previously. read moresaturday, october 14, 2006
Masseuse/New Shoes
Having gotten back to the states relatively unscathed, my first order of business was getting started on the upkeep of my poor suffuring bod. I hit the masseuse who gave me a good 90 minute workout.
The situation with my neck has gotten extremely bad and the 20-plus hours of travel did little to help matters. As a result, much of her effort focused on that. While it seemed to help somewhat after, the pain returned again full force today.
So I have an appointment with the chiropractor Monday and we shall see...
Next up, equipment. I headed over to see my friend Erin and the good folks at Performance Footwear in Tempe. I took to the treadmill to get a look to see what we could see and the results were surprising.
It seems the pronation on my left foot is almost completely absent now. It still gives a bit more roll than the right but the exaggerated slant inward is pretty much gone. The reccomendation was switch from a motion control shoe to one that simply provides stability. read moresunday, september 10, 2006
Running Log
Distance: 26 kilometers (16.14 miles)
Time: 140 minutes
Surface: asphalt/concrete
Weather Conditions: cool, misty, overcast, 60s, morning run
Location: Miraflores/Barranco/Chorrillos/San Isidro/Magdalena de Mar, Lima, Peru
Comments: I wanted to put in a huge run today and 'lo' that is what I did. I took it easy yesterday, carbed up pretty well and got in the mindset. Felt rested this morning so had a bannana and an energy bar with lots of water to get ready. Then I hit the road with two gel packs and two bottles of Gatorade.
Started very slow and deliberate. My knees were achy and I focused on taking smaller steps to get going. I went a slightly different route through the streets of Barranco and Chorrillos to cut out at least two big hills... and for the slight change of pace. read morefriday, july 14, 2006
Running Log
Distance: 9 kilometers (5.52 miles)
Time: 45 minutes
Surface: asphalt/concrete
Weather Conditions: cool, overcast, 60s, morning run
Location: Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Comments: Oh, how much difference a new pair of shoes make.
Started pretty early, did a double round of stretching to get limbered up better than yesterday. My hamstrings seem to be inordinately tight recently.
Got out and started at a more brisk pace than I expected due to the shoes so I geared it back and tried to settle in. The one downside of the new Asics is I have gotten so used to battling through the old shoes that removing the problem throws me off a bit. read morethursday, july 13, 2006
The Ballad of the Missing Running Shoes
After almost six months of regular running it had become apparent in recent weeks that my shoes have gone about as far as they can take me.
I am way past the four months or six hundred miles whichever comes first cutoff and it really has become apparent. As I have started putting in 30-plus mile weeks my feet and lower legs have become the repository of different aches and pains after every run.
So, one weekend last month I went looking for some new shoes here in Lima. I didn't think it would be simple but I figured it would at least be possible. What I didn't contend with is that size 13 shoes do not exist in Peru. None. Nada.
The largest size running shoe I could find was a 10-and-a-half and don't even think about finding one with decent motion control like I require. So after visiting no less than a dozen different shoe stores over a two-day span it became clear. I was SOL. read moresunday, july 09, 2006
Running Log
Distance: 16.5 kilometers (10.25 miles)
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Surface: asphalt/concrete/dirt
Weather Conditions: overcast, cool, 60s, morning run
Location: Miraflores/Barranco/Chorillos, Lima, Peru
Comments: The long run of the week and one of my best efforts to date.
I treated the descent to the beach as the warm-up and then hit a regular pace and kept on it. I went out to the Playa La Herradura and turned it around. After a visit to La Bruja I took to the streets of Barranco before hooking back up the the Malencon to finish. read morewednesday, june 21, 2006
Running Log
Distance: 12 km (7.45 miles)
Time: one hour
Surface: asphalt/concrete/dirt
Weather Conditions: overcast/sunny, cool, 60s, early afternoon run
Location: Miraflores and Barranco, Lima, Peru
Comments: Super great run today... except for the last ten minutes.
During my last run I felt I was wanting for energy so today I downed a powerbar before heading off to the gym. It seemed to do the trick, I had plenty of energy for almost the whole run but, at about the 50 min mark, it was gone.read more
tuesday, june 13, 2006
Running Log
Distance: 11 km (6.8 miles)
Time: one hour
Surface: asphalt, concrete
Weather Conditions: chilly, overcast, 50s, afternoon run
Location: Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Comments: After slacking off for two weeks I finally broke down and used the infallable motivation that is my birthright as an American - financial investment. Or, more to the point, I went shopping. After dropping my iPod during the race, it is clear I don't need to be taking it along on my runs. As my primary way of enjoying my music, getting it broken or stolen is just too high a risk. read moremonday, february 20, 2006
Chiropractor
My last visit to the chiropractor was pretty positive. The situation with my back looks much better, there is a greater degree of flexibility that should give me the opportunity to focus strength work on the problem now.
The uneven tilt of my pelvis is progressing well but will take much longer to work itself out. As much as a year, she projects. Which means the knee issues will probably continue for that long as well. But the insert in the heel of my shoe seems to be about right. It kept things aligned after a good week of miles (although I would have liked to have had a few more days in for her to assess).
Since I doubt I can pick one up in Peru, I stopped by the sporting goods store and purchased a McDavid Jumper's Knee Strap for addtional support for my left knee. The device is targeted for handling patellar tendinitis, which isn't exactly what I am dealing with. But it is another method of stablizing excess motion in the knee so, in that respect, it could be another tool for if my knee issues recur down the road.friday, january 27, 2006
New Shoes
Today my mom was kind enough to buy me a new pair of shoes to begin this endeavor. After speaking with my chiropractor and a running specialist, I was looking for a good shoe to control overpronation. My prior shoe was probably too good in that respect in that it was too heavy and caused other stresses on my knee.
So I headed over to the folks at Performance Footwear in Tempe. These guys know their stuff and my experience with them has always been a pleasure.
They did a footstrike analysis that confirmed the overpronation problems. After trying a few pairs with similar support I went with the ASICS Gel-Foundation VI. It has good overpronation control, not excessively though, and is damned comfortable. read more
