Choosing a new shoe on April 2

I finally had to put the Nike LunarGlide 2's out to pasture, and I'm really happy that I did. Unlike my current "go-to" shoe for all things running, the LunarFly, the Glides just never really made much of an impression on me. I should have not bought them in the first place because they aren't a lightweight, neutral shoe. Instead, they're more of the stability line, so they're much heavier and far more bulky to be comfortable to me.

So, I was trying to decide on picking up another pair of LunarFly's, which I have had a tremendous amount of success with. My current trainer pair have over 500 miles on them, which is ridiculous, but they feel as good right now as they did 500 miles ago when I slipped them on. The only real signs of wearing is on the forefoot where I land, and it's a bit worn down in the tread. Other than that, the cushioning feels intact, but it surely has to be compromised by now.

The Brooks Ghost has a pretty loyal following in the running world, and I see alot of them at races. I tried them on in the store and they felt reasonably light and comfortable. One thing I did notice was that my standard size 11 felt too tight in them, so I had to go up a half-size. They feel great just wearing around the house, but I'm going to put them through the paces later this evening with an 8 miler or so. I don't know about you, but new shoes don't ever feel very good to me until I"ve got at least 150 miles on them (with the rare exception of the beloved Brooks Green Silence, which felt like butta' from Day 1)

I'll keep you posted on how the Ghost's hold up on the road. I do love me some new running shoes....

I never thought it would happen... and then it happened

I was out on a fartlek (I still love saying that word) 6 miler this evening, just taking in the beauty of a fabulously cool, breezy, Georgia Friday afternoon in the hood (neighborhood, that is). Listening to the occasional sounds of our three sons playing kickball in our yard whilst arguing with the friend from next door that was playing with them, I realized something,


The Buildup

About 13 months ago, I began to get interested in the now-overtalked-about topic of minimalist running. Specifically, I was interested in what I read concerning forefoot striding. As an average sized guy, I'm about 6'2" and weigh around 190 pounds. I'm not petite by any means, but I'm not overly large either. But in the past 3 years, I've had occasional issues with injuries resulting from nothing more than poor biomechanics related to my running form. With this new information about the natural running form, I began to wonder if a:) I could actually change my running stride/gait and b:) If it would help me reduce some of these nagging little aches and pains.

I spent alot of time reading some of the fantastic research material over at www.runblogger.com on the natural running form, what it looks like, and how it enhances your running efficiency. It sounded almost too good to be true, honestly. Pete made it sound so effortless to run with a forefoot strike (no heel striking such as I had always been doing). Coupled together with the slight forward lean during the run is the fact that your stride should be marginal and not overreaching. Your feet should strike ground directly below your center of gravity. It sounded so easy on paper, but I soon discovered that putting it into practice on the asphalt was a completely different animal.

My first attempts at incorporating forefoot running were, let's say, less than successful. As I concentrated on trying to land forefoot rather than on my heel, I couldn't help but get the sensation that I was running on my tip-toes, and that's just not natural to me. I would try and try, but it never felt, well... right. What I failed to realize at these points of frustration was that the impediments to me achieving this more efficient stride were the two size 11 1/2 running shoes that were attached to my feet.

Kick 'em off...

About two months later, the game-changer happened. I was listening to a running podcast, and the guy being interviewed made a revelational statement that hit me between the eyes, and unlocked the secret of forefoot running...

Run barefoot.

Yep. I said it. Run barefoot.

Here's the gig: As running shoes have evolved, the cushioning contained within them has caused our feet to change the way in which they strike the ground. In essence, because the majority of running shoes today have thick, padded, cushioned heel cups, our body has no reason to strike on anything but that nice, soft cushion of the heel. BUT, if you take off your shoes, walk out onto the street (or sidewalk) and start to run, your body will absolutely not allow you to land on your heel. Why? Because it would hurt ! Your natural foot strike is, and always will be, your forefoot. If you don't believe me, try it now. I'll wait for you to come back.

See what I mean? The shoes on our feet have changed the way our feet "interact" with the ground beneath us.

In my next post, I"ll tell you how I put all of this knowledge (it wasn't that much, honestly) into action, and what it has done for my running. It really is nothing short of revolutional.

-Out

My new dirt-kickers

The new Cascadia 6's are (apparently) a popular trail shoe, particularly in size 11.5/12. I say this because I can't find any! No worries. As the SweetH20 50k is now six weeks out, I have been in need of getting the new kicks in-house, broken in and ready to do some trail runnin' on April 16. Since I haven't been able to find any of the Cascadia's in my size, I had to go to the bullpen for the ole' reliable...

Mizuno Wave Ascend 5:

As you might remember me mentioning in previous posts, I have been running trails in MIzuno Wave Ascends for the past couple of years. I love this shoe. It's a solid, sure-footed climber that has proven to be very reliable for me. The only thing that may be lacking is the cushioning. It's there, but it's just not in abundance. The reviews I have read for the new Ascend 5 model seems to support the notion that the cushioning has been enhanced, so I'm hopeful. According the online retailer I purchased them from, I should be receiving them by midweek, and that will work great for my planned 12-14 miler next Saturday on the Pine Mountain Trail, which is the site for the North Face Endurance 50 miler in October. Nothing like putting some new kicks to an immediate and grueling test on those very, very technical trails. If it can hold up along PMT, I have absolutely NO worries that it will coast through the SweetH20 course in six weeks.

Along with a new supply of S-Caps, a couple of new pairs of SmartWool socks, and the handhelds I have from last season, I think I'm nearly ready for the race. I'm sure I'll end up tinkering with gear, nutrition and clothing as the date gets closer, and we'll have to wait and see how the weather is shaping up. 

From the SweetH20 race reports I've been reading, the big race-killer for many runners is the heat. Many of the more grueling climbs (Top of the World x2) are in tremendously exposed areas of the trail, and even 75 degree temps are simply merciless. Trying to post up a 35 degree incline over 1/2 mile will tax the cardiovascular system in 40 degrees. In 70+, it's a show-stopper. I need to plan ahead for this as a likely scenario that I'll have to deal with. I've been gifted with the ability to cope with the heat pretty well, I think. I love summer time runs during lunch here in Georgia, and that's typically in 95 degree range, so I've got a pretty rapid sweat rate (what a lovely thought, I know) I'm counting on this to help me pass some fallen runners on the climbs that define SweetH20 Park in April.

A running shoe follow-up and some good, clean shoe porn

Don't ask me how, but I have somehow managed to completely leave everyone out in the cold on the verdict for the Brooks Green Silence kicks I bought a few months back.

I didn't mean to, I really didn't. I actually love the shoe. It's everything you want in a pair of running shoes; it's incredibly light underfoot, very breathable, and moderately durable (to a point, anyway). It really is a nearly perfect racing shoe.

So, am I going with another pair to keep in the barn?

Probably will once Fall gets here. In the meantime, I've been looking for a new pair of sneaks for exclusive road work. Right now, I'm leaning toward the Defyance. It really does have it all, and it feels fantastic underfoot.


Oh, I almost forgot... I was able to try on one of the newest models in the Ravenna line. It felt pretty good, considering it's a stability shoe. Pretty responsive and flexible, which isn't common for a shoe built around guidance.






Add to this lineup the newest member of the oh-so-fabulously-designed Cascadia lineage, and Brooks has perhaps the most solid line available thus far...

Feeling the freshness

Now, as many of you know, every now and then I like to sport a pair of colorful running shoes. Nothing gawdy, of course, but I'm definitely not a "black, grey and tan" kinda guy. Just who I am, I guess.

Until today, I've always thought the LunarFly's were about as flashy/colorful as you could reasonably get (aside from some of the Newton's, which are pushing the color limits, even for me).

Wrong I was.

I just got the Brooks Green Silence kicks in, and I gotta tell you, they're mighty odd looking. I feel like Green Lantern when I'm wearing them. All I need now is a green mask, and power ring and I'm ready to take out the bad guys...

But, and I do mean BUT, these shoes are like nothing I've ever felt before. I'm not sure that words can adequately convey just how feather-like they truly feel. Since they have no tongue, the fit is really like having a piece of cloth wrapped around your foot from the arch outward to the top. The lacing system is very unique because of the lack of a traditional tongue.

I'm going out for a 14 miler in a couple of hours, and I'll do a post tomorrow giving my first impressions of how they held up on the run. For now...

Green Lantern. Out.

Ronald McDonald on my feet

I have found the new kicks that will take me to the Finish line of the Disney Marathon in January. Great reviews on the new Brooks Green Silence.

Really looking forward to getting them in, on and out for a run. I'll keep you posted on how they hold up. Until then, here's a lovely photo from your neighborhood McDonalds...

UPDATE - 10/29/10 @00:20

Lucky for me, I found an alternate color scheme. Looks about as "unusual" as the ones above, but at least no one will ask me for a free Happy Meal.

Lookin for some new kicks

I have completely trashed my #1 rule of running:

"Never run in shoes that have over 350 miles on them."

How badly have I violated Rule #1?

562.5 miles (as of lunchtime today)

Yeah, the Nike LunarFly+'s are about ready to be led out to pasture. But darn, they are so comfortable, I just hate to stop running in them.

Hasn't everyone had a special pair of running shoes that you just KNOW your feet were made for? I can't think of many others I've had in the past, but this pair of LunarFly's are absolute BUTTER.

I know what you're saying, and you're right; I can go buy another pair, true. But how many times have you gone out and bought the EXACT same shoe, brought it home, put it on, and realized that it felt completely different than it's cousin, the worn-out pair? Sounds stupid, I know, but I'm just reluctant to do it.

Another problem I'm having is this: I'm running the Disney Marathon on Jan 9, and right now I have no training shoe to run it in. All of my Asics Kayano's and 3120's have over 450 miles on them, so I've got to do something here to score a pair of shoes to run the race in. New pair of the LunarFly's? Not so fast...

The "Fly's" are technically a neutral racing shoe. They have absolutely zero support in them, yet are light as a feather. I can run pretty fast in them during a 5k, 10k, even a half marathon.

BUT, they're not meant to be worn for a full 26.2 miles. They weren't designed for that, and my feet weren't designed to run without any support for that kind of distance either. That's the biggest reason I haven't gone out and bought another pair of them. I've got to find a shoe that is light, yet stable enough to run the marathon (and 3-4 more marathons I'm planning on running between Jan 30 and Apr 1).

I bought a pair of the Nike LunarGlide's a few weeks ago, but I haven't been able to get too excited about them either. They're lighter than a standard training shoe, but still weigh in around 11+ ounces. Not heavy, but alot heavier than the 6.5 ounces I've been used to for the past 550 miles.

Any peeps out there have a favorite racing shoe that is light underfoot, yet still providing basic support? Let me know what you're running in these days because I've got to get something lined up so I can get them broken in by Jan 9.

Guess I could just run barefoot...

nah

2010 ING Georgia Marathon Race Report

I had a very solid race today. All things considered, I am very, very satisfied with how I ran. 

Here are some brief details: 

Packet Pick-up on Saturday at the Georgia Dome - No issues; Joy and I spent the afternoon doing the pick-up thing and driving to/from home together. 

Race morning: 

Alarm wake-up at 4:00am. Eat, hydrate, dress, load-up and drive toward Atlanta by 4:40am. Both of us were half-asleep. 

Arrive near Centennial Olympic Park at 6:25am. Joy drops me off on a corner, and I follow other runners to the Athletes Village. Decide to wait in Porta-John line, but man, they are LLLLLONG. At least 40 people deep per line X 50 lines.. Yikes. Anywho, wait and move up, wait and move up. I finally get to 3 back from the front of the line, and the clock is less than 5 minutes from race start. This is going to be close. 

Get done with "bio break" and sprint (literally) down the hills, through Olympic Park and onto the sidewalk. I run up in front of CNN Center as I listen to the PA system announcer barking out corral locations (about 20 in all). She yells across her microphone that "Corral D" is "up this street a few blocks", so I fire off in a blaze, sprinting way past tempo effort to get to my corral. Finally, a I make it a few blocks and find my corral, but cannot find my way through the fencing that surrounds the corrals. Less than 1 minute to start... 

I squeeze through an opening in the gates and get into Corral D just in time to hear the final countdown and the starters pistol. Drat. I didn't have time to weave through the throngs and make it closer to the front corral. Our corral, which is close to the front corral, waited without moving for at least 7 minutes. Frustrating, but chip time is what is measured, so it shouldn't matter much. I knew that I would likely be able to hop on the sidewalks and rip by the hundreds of folks that managed to get ahead of me in the corrals. 

Corral D and myself finally started moving and made it to the Start line. I started the Garmin on its journey, and the field opened up a fair amount, so I was able to stretch it out and start making a move. Since we were running down the middle of midtown, I quickly figured out that I would either be doing alot of weaving through runners in the roadway, or I could jump on the sidewalk and open er up. 

Sidewalk, baby. 

Me and a couple of other guys hopped onto the sidewalk and just started ripping out some leg turnover. Becuase this is urban Atlanta sidewalk, I only looked at my Garmin once to see what pace I was running at. 6:02 min/mile. Nice groove, but I knew not to stay in this pattern too long or it would short circuit me later on. 

As I said, this is urban Atlanta sidewalk, and there were hazards EVERYWHERE. Fire hydrants out of nowhere, street signs popped up right in front of you also. Since there were some guys in front of me, I didn't have the benefit of seeing far ahead of me. I had to focus on the guy in front and react however he reacted. If he jumped to the left quickly, I instantaneously assumed it was because something bad was upcoming, so I also jumped to the left. Factor into this chaos the shart curb-dropoffs, unevent sidewalk pavement and the occassional pothole, and the sidewalk was a choice made by only the lesser-intelligent fellows like myself... :) 

Around Mile 3, I had managed to pass quite a few other runners (I'm guessing at least 300-400), and was able to jump back into the roadway, and settle into a more leisurely pace (8:04 min/mile). By this point in the race, we were running toward the outer reaches of true midtown and it was then that I started to feel pretty warm. I was wearing an Asics tech singlet, Race Ready shorts, armsleeves and a long sleeve cotton shirt on top. I decided to ditch the cotton long sleeve (I felt plenty warm and figured it would be getting warmer now that the sun had risen) 

Didn't work out that way. 

I slipped into a comfortable race pace and hung with it, feeling strong and fresh. 

Then the temperature dropped about 10 degrees. 
Then the rain came. 
Then the wind came. 
You just gotta laugh. 

So, I near Mile 6, and the Half Marathon course begins to peel away from the Marathon course. In light of the deteriorating weather, I actually gave thought to whether or not it was the best day for doing the 26.2 mile route to the Finish line. In the end though, I knew this would be my last marathon of the Spring season and I knew I would kick myself if I bailed and elected to finish the half, so I stayed in the right lane, and hung a hard right turn as the half'ers hung a sharp left turn around Mile 7. 


Miles 7 through 13 passed uneventfully, and I was still feeling fine. I had actually been wondering to myself whether or not I would feel any adverse impact after running the Mercedes Marathon just 4 weeks prior to this very day. I had spent the week after Mercedes just recovering and doing some light mileage, as to not get injured. The remaining 3 weeks saw me do no significant mileage (around 30-35 mpw), so I was naturally curious as to the TRUE state of my fitness. 

The aid stations were really well run during this race, and the volunteers were numerous and very enthusiastic. In light of the less-than-ideal weather conditions, it's amazing just how cheerful and excited they were. Great job on that, guys. 

I remember passing the 13.1 mile timing mat, and the rain soon stopped thereafter. The course was still a large grouping of hills that were starting to hurt alot of my fellow runners. I was able to consistently pass many, many people on the largest hills after mile 13. I don't know why (training, I assume) but hills don't scare me. In fact, I LIKE hills. They are like the summertime heat; the great equalizer. I don't have any magical formula for them, I just shorten my stride, increase my turnover and power up them. It's a confidence booster every single time. Plus, you get to explode off the top and rocket down the other side. 

I don't recall anything signficant occurring between Miles 13.1 and 21, so I must have been in my zone during that stretch. I was hydrating as needed and feeling fine. By Mile 21, there were alot of hurting people on the course, and I was able to pass alot of them as I approached back into the city of Atlanta. 

Miles 21 through 24 led back into the downtown area (after a log out and back at Piedmont Park). Around Mile 24, I started to feel some fatigue in my forefoot. Both of them. Just plain tingling and falling asleep. In retrospect, it probably has something to do with the fact that I ran this race (and Mercedes, for that matter) in the Asics Gel 3010's, which have over 450 miles on them. Forefoot cushioning is probably not providing as much shock absorption as I need, but I couldn't chance running 26.2 in the new kicks just yet. Not enough miles on them. 

As I reach Mile 25, I know I'm nearing the Finish line and the crowds are getting larger. More runners hurting and walking; so I tried to encourage as many as I pass by. 

Mile 26 arrives and I can hear the announcer calling out peoples names as they cross the Finish line, and I can hear the music blasting through the speakers.. I KNOW I'm just a block away from the Finish line, and then I see my wife on the side - that gives me the last boost of mojo I need to power across the Finish and feel fantastic while doing it! 

Marathon #10 - 3:57:20

Mind you, I'm not tremendously happy with my finish time, but with the rain, wind and cold, I'm not very disappointed either. Plus, I ran a Marathon PR less than 1 month ago in Birmingham. All things considered, I'm pretty happy with Marathon season, Spring 2010. 

But mark my words, I WILL absolutely break 3:45 in October at Ridge to Bridge marathon, and WILL break 3:40 in Disney in January 2011. 

Wait and see, but it WILL happen. 

Fully recovered and puttin' on the miles

It's been 10 days since the Mercedes Marathon, and I am now completely recovered. The past four or five days have felt pretty normal in terms of ease and pace, so I think I've been mostly recovered since last weekend. The last four days have seen me add up a decent mileage count, and I have been feeling fine in spite of it. This is all good news since the ING Georgia Marathon is now less than three weeks away.

I ran a 10 mile marathon pace run last night, and it was pretty uneventful. Tonight, I am going to try and squeeze in an easy 5 miles or so. Tomorrow will see a 12-14 mile long run, with Sunday as a rest day. I should finish up this week somewhere around 44 miles. Not a bad total for the start of a traditional marathon taper period at three weeks out.

On the topic of shoes, I have decided that the Gel Foundation 5's are just not working for me. I've contacted Road Runner Sports about swapping them out for a pair of the  Kayano 15's that have been such a great shoe for me in the past. A sales rep was supposed to call me back this afternoon to arrange the exchange, but they never did.  Grrrrr.......

Happy running .

Looking for a new pair of kicks

It seems like I just started running in the Asics 3010's that I ordered, but 370 miles have somehow slipped by while running in them. Soooooooo, it's time for me to find my next pair of shoes that will take me into Spring.

A couple of options that I'm bouncing back and forth:

• Brooks Trance 9 - This is a solid contender. Great stability, cushioning is spot-on, and the shoe profile is lesser than what I've run in before. I've tried revious models on before, and they just didn't fit the bill for me, but the newest 9 looks to improve on what was already a solid stability shoe.
  
• Asics 2150 - The Asics 21XX model line and myself have some serious history together. I've been running in this shoe series since it was the 2130 model, and I couldn't begin to count how many pairs I've run into the ground. Fantastic shoe. Great durability, too. The 2150 rates better than even the 2140 did, so this is a definite player.
  
• Asics Kayano 16 - Again, I've got history with this model as well. My first Kayano was the 14, and I loved it. (In fact, I still run in from time to time). That original pair are still in the stable and a go-to shoe on rainy days. I've got nearly 500 miles in it now, so it's life is depleted. A replacement may be the ticket.
  
• Mizuno Nirvana - Maybe. Not much experience with Mizuno aside from two pair of Renegade III's I ran in back in the day.

Still doing the research on each, and I'll have to find one soon. I'll keep you posted on which I finally choose.

Reviewing my newest kicks; Asics Gel 3010

Well, with over 300 miles now safely under the hood, I can now provide an honest opinion on the new Asics 3010 kicks. These mark the latest Asics offering that have showed up in laundry room sink (also known as "Don't bring those stinkin' running shoes into this bedroom" alternative location). As with most every single pair of running shoes I have tried before, there are good and bad things contained within.

The Fit:

The Asics Gel 3010 sits right in the middle of the upper end of Asics Support + category of offerings. It shares that spot with the Gel Kayano, one of my truly favorite running shoes ever. The selling point of the 3010 is that it is supposed to be a combination of the cushioning of the Gel Kinsei 2 and the support of the Kayano 15.

I have tried on a pair of Gel Kinsei's before, but since they are a neutral last shoe, I have never ran in them. My wife, however, SWEARS by the comfort of that shoe. She has gone through 2 seperate pairs of them, and simply loves them.  Mixing that kind of cushioning with my beloved Kayano? What's not to love, right?

When I first put the 3010's on, they felt pretty much like a new pair of running shoes. Not overly comfortable and completely unmolded to my feet. The toe box is ample in width and the cushioning seems to be adequate as well. The one thing I did notice was that they felt very light and flexible underfoot. I've worn many shoes (mostly New Balance and Mizuno) that felt heavy and nonresponsive. The 3010's felt very flexible, which is a great thing.

The Ride:
Like I said, now that I have 300 miles on them, I can speak intelligently to the ride. I've got to admit that at around 100 miles, I mentioned to someone that "...I know now why I never see anyone at races wearing 3010's..." They just didn't feel that special. Certainly not snappy enough for the price point Asics deposits them in ($135 MSRP)

Initially, it seemed that I was having issues with the forefoot cushioning, or lack thereof. On runs past 5 miles or so, my forefoot would tingle from the impact of the road. Actually, many times my toes would fall asleep as well. As you can imagine, this is not normal behavior for a quality running shoe, and I began looking for a new pair to replace the 3010.

However, within less than 50 more miles on the shoe, all of these situations ceased to occur, and the shoe became a different experience. I am attributing it to the fact that I began running in this shoe in the winter and perhaps the cold weather contributed to a longer "burn-in" time for my feet. It seemed that once my feet broke the shoe in well, it fit like a glove and provided the kind of support and cushioning that I had been hoping for.

What a difference 50 miles makes.

The Verdict:
A solid choice for runners seeking a stability + shoe that can handle the road miles with support and cushioning. It is very similar to my beloved 2140's as well, but it seems to be more cushioned. I've run hundreds and hundreds of miles in the Gel 2130/2140 line, and I am a huge fan of that dynasty, and the 3010 lives up to that high standard.

With the fact that the newly-released 2150 model shows up at $100, the Gel 3010 is an attractive alternative. With the current model receiving "Sale" status at major running shoe sites, it is fairly easy to find the 3010 at a price point of around $90, which is a great deal for that level of shoe. When I decide to replace my current pair (within the next month), my decision on re-enlisting with the 3010 will be based solely upon what the price tag reveals. If I can find another pair for $90 or less (probably less), I will more than likely pull the trigger and welcome a new pair into the laundry room sink with the rest of the "family".

Asics Gel 3010 -- Thumbs Up